First Lady Melania Trump issued a rare, live televised statement on Thursday, April 9, to categorically deny long-standing allegations linking her to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In a defiant rebuttal, Trump, 55, characterized the rumors as “mean-spirited” political attacks and concluded her remarks with a surprising call for Congress to hold public hearings for Epstein’s survivors.
The address, delivered from the White House, aimed to dismantle years of social media speculation and what the First Lady described as “fake images” circulating online.
“The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today,” Trump stated, utilizing an authoritative tone. “I do not object to [their] ignorance, but rather I reject their mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation.”
The First Lady specifically addressed the origin of her relationship with President Donald Trump. While rumors have frequently suggested Epstein introduced the couple, she clarified that their first encounter occurred at a 1998 party—an account she noted is fully documented in her recently released memoir, Melania.
She asserted that she did not meet Epstein until 2000, two years after meeting her husband, during a social event in New York. “I’ve never been friends with Epstein,” she said, attributing their presence at the same gatherings to the “overlapping social circles” common in New York City and Palm Beach.
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Trump also addressed her inclusion in the “Epstein files,” specifically emails involving Ghislaine Maxwell. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year sentence in federal prison for sex trafficking. The First Lady dismissed the correspondence as “trivial” and “casual,” denying any deeper relationship with Maxwell or knowledge of the pair’s criminal enterprise.
To further distance herself from the scandal, Trump explicitly stated:
- She never traveled on Epstein’s private plane.
- She never visited his private island.
- Her name has never appeared in court documents, depositions, or FBI victim interviews.
In a strategic pivot, the First Lady concluded her address by urging Congress to provide Epstein’s victims with a public platform. She advocated for hearings that would allow survivors to testify under oath, ensuring their accounts are entered into the permanent congressional record.
“Now is the time for Congress to act,” she said. “Each and every woman should have her day to tell her story in public if she wishes… Then, and only then, we will have the truth.”
The First Lady departed the podium immediately following her statement, declining to answer follow-up questions from the gathered press corps.
