The US First Lady, Melania Trump, on Thursday denied that she had any ties to Jeffrey Epstein, rejecting claims she was connected to or victimised by him. In a rare White House statement, she said she and her husband, Donald Trump, met in 1998, dismissing speculation that Epstein introduced them, and urged Congress to hold public hearings for victims.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump distanced himself from the matter, adding that he was not aware of her statement.
What did Melania Trump say in her speech?
“The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today,” she said. “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.”
"I am not Epstein's victim," she said, responding to what she said were false smears against her.
She said that she had never had a relationship with Epstein or his convicted associate Ghislaine Maxwell, but "crossed paths" with Epstein in 2000 at an event she attended with Trump, five years before their marriage.
"I have never been friends with Epstein," the First Lady said. "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."
"At the time, I had never met Epstein and had no knowledge of his criminal undertakings," she said.
Regarding a 2002 email from Melania Trump to Maxwell about a New York Magazine piece on Epstein—released in the Epstein Files—she said it was merely casual correspondence.
"Nice story about JE in NY mag. You look great on the picture," the email reads. "Give me a call when you are back in NY."
“My polite reply to her email doesn’t amount to anything more than a trivial note,” Melania Trump described her email without elaborating.
Epstein, who pleaded guilty in 2008 to two Florida state felony charges, including procurement of a minor for prostitution, was later indicted on federal sex-trafficking charges in 2019 before dying in jail in what was ruled a suicide.
Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of luring teenage girls to be sexually abused by Epstein and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Why Melania Trump chose to speak now?
Melania did not clarify why she chose to speak out on Thursday, reviving an issue that had largely faded from headlines amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. But Marc Beckman, her senior adviser, told Reuters in a statement: “First Lady Melania Trump spoke out now because enough is enough. The lies must stop.”
How Donald Trump reacted to the speech?
Trump said he was unaware of Melania's Thursday White House remarks denying any links to Jeffrey Epstein.
“She didn’t know him (Epstein),” the president told MS NOW's Jacqueline Alemany, who reported on X that he was in a meeting about the Iran war and couldn’t speak further.
(With inputs from agencies)
