First Lady Melania Trump had everyone thinking the same thing after she held a bizarre press conference on Thursday to deny that she had anything but casual ties to Jeffrey Epstein, the late disgraced financier, pedophile, sexual abuser, and sex trafficker.
Mrs. Trump publicly denied any ties to convicted sex offenders Epstein and his procurer Ghislaine Maxwell, saying claims linking her to Epstein are “lies” meant to damage her reputation. She said she met her husband, President Donald Trump at a New York City party in 1998 and did not meet Epstein until 2000, contradicting a witness statement in the Epstein files that alleges Epstein introduced the couple.
She insisted the allegations are false and said the individuals spreading them lack “ethical standards” and are attempting to defame her, though she did not specify who she was referring to. The reason for her remarks was unclear, and she has not been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein or Maxwell.
In particular, she addressed a 2002 email to Maxwell that appears in the Epstein files, in which she praised a magazine story about Epstein and signed the message “love, Melania.” Maxwell’s reply referred to her as “sweet pea” and said she would try to call her.
The first lady said:
"The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today. 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 have never been friends with Epstein. 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. To be clear, I never had a relationship with Epstein or his accomplice, Maxwell. My email reply to Maxwell cannot be categorized as anything more than casual correspondence."
"My polite reply to her email doesn’t amount to anything more than a trivial note. I am not Epstein’s victim. Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump. I met my husband, by chance, at a New York City party in 1998. This initial encounter with my husband is documented in detail in my book, 'MELANIA.' The first time I crossed paths with Epstein was in the year 2000, at an event Donald and I attended together."
"At the time, I had never met Epstein and had no knowledge of his criminal undertakings. Numerous fake images and statements about Epstein and me have been circulating on social media for years now. Be cautious about what you believe. These images and stories are completely false. I am not a witness or a named witness in connection with any of Epstein’s crimes."
"My name has never appeared in court documents, depositions, victim statements, or FBI interviews surrounding the Epstein matter. I have never had any knowledge of Epstein’s abuse of his victims. I was never involved in any capacity—I was not a participant, was never on Epstein’s plane, and never visited his private island. I have never been legally accused or convicted of a crime in connection with Epstein’s sex trafficking, abuse of minors, and other repulsive behavior."
"The false smears about me from mean-spirited and politically motivated individuals and entities looking to cause damage to my good name to gain financially and climb politically must stop. My attorneys and I have fought these unfounded and baseless lies with success and will continue to maintain my sound reputation without hesitation."
She continued:
"To date, several individuals and companies have been legally obligated to publicly apologize and retract their lies about me, such as 'The Daily Beast,' James Carville, and Harper Collins UK. Now is the time for Congress to act. Epstein was not alone. Several prominent male executives resigned from their powerful positions after this matter became widely politicized."
"Of course, this doesn’t amount to guilt, but we still must work openly and transparently to uncover the truth. I call on Congress to provide the women who have been victimized by Epstein with a public hearing specifically centered around the survivors. Give these victims their opportunity to testify under oath in front of Congress, with the power of sworn testimony."
"Each and every woman should have her day to tell her story in public, if she wishes, and then her testimony should be permanently entered into the Congressional Record. Then, and only then, will we have the truth."
You can hear what she said in the video below.
The general response: The first lady doth protest too much, and the fact she—who closely guards her public image—has spoken out means something must be coming out soon.
Afterward, senior adviser Marc Beckman said in a statement that the first lady decided to speak out now because “enough is enough” and “the lies must stop.”
The first lady's remarks came after the Justice Department informed the House Oversight Committee that former Attorney General Pam Bondi would not comply with a subpoena to testify before the panel next week.
Her statement also comes about six months after author Michael Wolff sued her, alleging she threatened a $1 billion lawsuit over comments he made linking her to Epstein.
Mrs. Trump's attorneys moved to dismiss the case in January, and a judge has not yet ruled. Wolff told NBC News he was “totally caught out of the blue” by her remarks and said he has no upcoming book or project that would explain why she addressed the issue now.
