First Lady Melania Trump publicly denied any ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Thursday, calling for Congress to hold a public hearing for his victims. In a surprise statement from the White House, Mrs. Trump vehemently denounced what she called "lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein," asserting that individuals spreading such falsehoods lack ethical standards.
"I was not a participant, was never on Epstein’s plane, and never visited his private island," the First Lady stated, directly addressing various rumors and social media claims that have circulated. She described the circulating images and stories connecting her to Epstein as "completely false."
While President Trump socialized with Epstein in the 1990s and 2000s, and both he and Melania Trump were photographed with Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, Mrs. Trump maintained she was never friends with Epstein. She clarified that their social circles occasionally overlapped in New York and Palm Beach, but she was never one of Epstein's victims nor was he responsible for introducing her to her husband.
The statement also comes amidst Mrs. Trump's ongoing legal dispute with author Michael Wolff, who she claims made defamatory allegations linking her to Epstein's social circle in a podcast.