Melania Trump pushes back on Epstein claims: “The lies about me must end”
Melania Trump appeared at the White House to firmly reject claims linking her to Jeffrey Epstein or suggesting she had any knowledge of his crimes. The first lady said the allegations were completely false and called on Congress to hold a public hearing centered on Epstein’s victims.
In a rare public appearance at the White House, Melania Trump addressed growing claims tying her name to Jeffrey Epstein and sharply denied any connection to him or his crimes. Reading from a prepared statement, the first lady said she had never been involved in any way, never knew about Epstein’s abuse of minors and rejected what she described as a smear campaign aimed at damaging her reputation. Her remarks also included a call for Congress to organize a public hearing focused on the women victimized by Epstein.
Melania Trump rejects all claims
Melania Trump said the reports linking her to Jeffrey Epstein do not reflect the truth. She insisted she had no connection to him and no knowledge of the crimes he was accused of.
“The lies linking me to the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today. The individuals lying about me are devoid of ethical standards, humility and respect. I do not object to their ignorance, but rather I reject their mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation,” she said.
“I never had a relationship with Epstein or Maxwell”
The first lady also addressed claims about Ghislaine Maxwell and made clear that she had no relationship with either figure. She said an email reply attributed to her should be seen as nothing more than casual correspondence and not as evidence of a deeper connection.
Melania Trump added that she and Donald Trump had occasionally attended the same parties as Epstein because overlapping social circles were common in New York City and Palm Beach. She said she met Donald Trump by chance at a New York party in 1998 and first crossed paths with Epstein in 2000 at an event she attended with Trump.
“I was never involved in any capacity”
Melania Trump said her name has never appeared in court documents, depositions, victim statements or FBI interviews connected to Epstein’s crimes. She stressed that she was not a witness, not a victim and not involved in any way.
She also said she had never flown on Epstein’s plane and had never visited his private island. According to Melania Trump, the accusations against her are false, politically motivated and intended to harm her name.
Call for public hearings focused on survivors
Beyond denying the allegations, Melania Trump called on Congress to hold a public hearing centered on Epstein’s victims. She said women harmed by Epstein should be given the chance to testify publicly under oath and have their stories entered into the congressional record.
According to the first lady, the truth can only fully emerge if the survivors are given the space to speak openly.
Trump gave a brief response
After the statement, President Donald Trump was reached by phone and said he had not known in advance about his wife’s remarks on Epstein. He responded briefly, saying of Melania Trump, “She didn’t know him.”
Epstein case returns to the spotlight
Jeffrey Epstein, who was accused of sexually abusing dozens of underage girls and operating a prostitution network, was found dead in his cell at the Manhattan Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York on August 10, 2019. With Melania Trump’s statement, the Epstein case has once again moved back to the center of public debate.
Prison guard Googled Jeffrey Epstein shortly before his body was found, documents reveal
