Former White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham is publicly challenging President Donald Trump’s assertion that he had no prior knowledge of First Lady Melania Trump’s recent statement regarding the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Appearing on CNN’s The Lead, Grisham firmly dismissed the president’s official stance. “I call BS on our president saying he knew nothing about it,” Grisham stated. She asserted that standard White House communication protocols, combined with the First Lady’s meticulous habits, make the president’s claimed ignorance highly improbable.
The internal dispute follows an unexpected public address by Melania Trump. Speaking from the White House residence, she forcefully rejected rumors connecting her to Epstein. The First Lady acknowledged briefly crossing paths with the disgraced financier in 2000 through mutual social circles but denied any substantive relationship. Notably, she utilized the platform to urge Congress to formally record the testimonies of Epstein’s victims to ensure transparency.
President Trump subsequently told reporters he did not “know anything about” his wife’s remarks before she delivered them.
Grisham, who previously served as the First Lady’s chief of staff, countered this narrative by detailing Melania Trump’s highly strategic approach to public relations. According to Grisham, the First Lady calculates her media presence meticulously and would have, at minimum, issued an advisory to the West Wing. Walking to the White House podium, Grisham noted, was a deliberate move designed to “make absolute waves.”
However, Grisham clarified that advance notice does not equate to executive control. She maintained that even if the president had been briefed, he lacked the influence to block the address. “Absolutely not,” Grisham responded when asked if the president could have intervened, characterizing Melania Trump as an independent operator who acts on her own judgment.
Meanwhile, the First Lady’s current team is actively attempting to pivot public attention away from the Epstein controversy. Speaking on Fox & Friends, Marc Beckman, a current advisor to Melania Trump, dismissed the ongoing scrutiny. Beckman urged the public and the press to refocus on the First Lady’s domestic policy initiatives, specifically highlighting her ongoing advocacy within the foster care community and the education sector.
