First Lady Melania Trump made a rare public statement at the White House on Thursday denying any close relationship with Jeffrey Epstein or his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
Why it matters: the statement is the most direct response from anyone in the Trump family to documents released in January that named the first lady in correspondence with Maxwell.
What she said
“The lies linking me with Jeffrey Epstein need to end today,” the first lady said. “I’ve never been friends with Epstein. I never had a relationship with Epstein or his accomplice, Maxwell.”
She acknowledged a 2002 email exchange with Maxwell in which she signed off “Love Melania” and Maxwell called her “sweet pea.” The first lady described it as “casual correspondence” and a “trivial” note.
She said she first met Epstein in 2000 at an event she and Donald Trump attended, and that Epstein did not introduce her to the president.
A call for hearings
In an unexpected move, the first lady called on Congress to hold public hearings for Epstein’s victims. “Give these women their opportunity to testify under oath in front of Congress,” she said.
The call puts her at odds with congressional Republicans who have resisted expanding the scope of Epstein-related investigations beyond current proceedings.
The president’s response
President Trump, who has repeatedly called the Epstein files a “hoax,” told reporters in a phone call that he did not know about his wife’s statement before she delivered it. The White House did not comment further on whether the administration supports the first lady’s request for hearings.