First lady Melania Trump, pictured last month during the Fostering the Future Together Global Coalition Summit at the White House, on Thursday delivered a statement denying a friendship with deceased sex predator Jeffrey Epstein, in addition to denying that she “was a victim” of his or that he introduced her to her husband, President Donald Trump. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
First lady Melania Trump made a rare address to the nation on Thursday afternoon to deny a friendship, or relationship of any kind, with deceased sex predator Jeffrey Epstein.
The release of the Epstein files over the past several months, included several pictures of both President Donald Trump and the first lady with the disgraced financier, who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on allegations of sex trafficking and sex abuse.
In her statement, Melania Trump denied a series of accusations and theories related to her, her relationship with President Trump and the possibility of others related to Epstein and his accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell.
“The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today,” the first lady said in the unannounced statement from the White House.
“I have never been friends with Epstein,” she said in the brief statement. “Donald and I were invited to the same parties as Epstein from time to time since overlapping in social circles is common in New York City and Palm Beach,” Fla.
President Trump had a friendship with Epstein that spanned roughly two decades, before they had a falling out in the 2000s over a real estate deal, before Epstein was first arrested and sentenced to probation for soliciting prostitution to a 17-year-old girl.
In November, President Trump signed a bill easily passed Congress requiring the Department of Justice to release all of its files on Epstein and Maxwell, who is currently in prison after being convicted of sex trafficking and other crimes related to her work for the financier.
Since their release, the documents have raised questions about a number of politicians, business people and other prominent individuals across several countries, leading to a series of resignations, retirements and, in a handful of cases, arrests.
“I am not one of Epstein’s victims,” Melania Trump said during the statement.
“Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump,” the first lady said. “I met my husband by chance at the New York City party in 1988 … The first time I crossed paths with Epstein was in the year 2000 at an event Donald and I attended together.”
A picture that was included in the Epstein files shows the Trumps standing alongside Epstein and Maxwell at an event, which reportedly was held at President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club and may be the event she is referring to, although she did not make that clear during her statement.
“Numerous fake images and statements about me have been circulating on social media for years now,” she said. “Be cautious about what you believe. These images and stories are completely false.”
Melania Trump referred specifically to things published by political pundit James Carville, Harper Collins UK, and the Daily Beast — the latter of which retracted a story that said she met her husband through a modeling agent that knew Epstein.
The report, sourced from journalist Michael Wolff, was determined by Daily Beast editors that it “did not meet our standards” and the news organization issued an apology.
The first lady then called on Congress to act because “Epstein was not alone,” noting the number of “prominent male executives” who resigned from their positions, even though “this doesn’t amount to guilt.”
“I call on Congress to provide the women who have been victimized by Epstein with a public hearing specifically centered around the survivors,” she said. “Each and every woman should have the opportunity to testify publicly … then and only then will we have the truth.”
Trump did not take questions from reporters at the conclusion of her statement.
This week in Washington
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during a press briefing at the Pentagon on Wednesday. Yesterday, the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, with the U.S. suspending bombing in Iran for two weeks if the country reopens the Straight of Hormuz. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
