Melania Trump, wife of U.S. President Donald Trump, abruptly delivered a live statement at the White House on the 9th (local time) and flatly denied any connection with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell. She directly refuted the suspicions that have recently surfaced.
On the day, the first lady said, "The lies that link me to the disgraced Jeffrey Epstein must end today." She added, "The emails exchanged with Maxwell were nothing more than polite replies," and argued that "a trivial correspondence is being exaggerated." She also said, "I am not a victim of Epstein, and the claim that he introduced me to Trump is not true," adding, "I met my husband by chance at a party in New York in 1998."
Referring to the New York and Palm Beach, Florida, social scenes in the past, the first lady drew a line, saying, "Because the social circles overlap, I was invited to the same parties, but there was no personal relationship." She emphasized, "The first time I saw Epstein was at a 2000 event, and before that I had neither met him nor knew of his crimes."
She also strongly pushed back against various allegations spreading online. "For years, fake photos and false statements have circulated on social media (SNS)," the first lady said, adding, "My name appears nowhere in court documents or investigative records related to Epstein." She warned, "Attempts to defame me for political purposes and financial gain must stop." At the same time, she called on the U.S. Congress to "hold a public hearing for victims in the Epstein case."
The live statement was reportedly made without prior notice. The Associated Press said, "The first lady's sudden announcement today surprised not only the White House but also official Washington," evaluating it as "a message that came at a time when the Epstein controversy was quieting down."
President Trump said in a phone interview with U.S. broadcaster MS Now that he "did not know in advance about his wife's statement," and "she does not know Epstein." It was also reported that there was a bewildered response within the White House to the announcement.