Former First Lady Melania Trump issued an uncommon public statement Wednesday from the White House Grand Foyer, firmly rejecting claims that she maintained a personal relationship with convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein or his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
Trump also made a direct appeal to Congress, requesting that lawmakers organize public hearings where Epstein’s victims could provide sworn testimony to officially document their experiences.
In her remarks, Trump confronted persistent speculation head-on, stating: “The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today.” She emphasized that she maintained no connection to either Epstein or Maxwell.
“I never been friends with Epstein,” Trump stated, acknowledging that she and Donald Trump sometimes attended the same social gatherings as Epstein in New York City and Palm Beach, but stressed this did not constitute a personal bond. “To be clear, I never had a relationship with Epstein or his accomplice, Maxwell.”
Epstein, a financier, faced federal sex trafficking charges involving minors when he was taken into custody in 2019. He died in jail while his trial was pending. Maxwell, who worked with him, received a 20-year prison sentence in 2021 after being found guilty of helping to recruit and abuse underage victims.
Regarding a previously disclosed email correspondence with Maxwell, Trump characterized it as ordinary communication. “My email reply to Maxwell cannot be categorized as anything more than casual correspondence,” she explained, noting it did not indicate any significant relationship.
Trump revealed she first met Epstein in 2000 at an event where she accompanied Donald Trump, stressing she had no awareness of his criminal behavior at that time. She dismissed online allegations, saying: “Numerous fake images and statements about Epstein and me have been calculating on social media for years now,” and cautioned: “Be cautious about what you believe. These images and stories are completely false.”
She confirmed her name has not surfaced in legal cases connected to Epstein and rejected any involvement in his illegal activities. “I was not a participant, was never on Epstein’s plane, and never visited his private island,” she declared.
Trump mentioned that she and her legal team have contested what she termed “unfound and baseless lies,” pointing out that multiple individuals and organizations, including Daily Beast, James Carville, and HarperCollins UK, had issued apologies or corrections.
