Melania Trump Denies Ties to Epstein, Requests Congressional Hearing

First Lady Melania Trump stated, “I was never on Epstein’s plane and I never visited his private island.” She urged Congress to hold a public hearing for women who are victims of Epstein in an effort to shed more light on the case. Epstein died in his cell in a Manhattan prison by suicide, according to authorities. The links between President Donald Trump and Epstein have haunted the White House for months. The president maintained a friendship with the financier in the 1990s and early 2000s, though he has claimed they drifted apart before his crimes came to light. How did Melania Trump meet Epstein? Melania Trump said she first crossed paths with Epstein, who committed suicide in his cell in a federal prison in 2019, in the year 2000 at an event she attended with the now-U.S. president. “At that time, I had never met Epstein and had no knowledge of his criminal activities whatsoever,” she asserted. The First Lady of the United States denounced that “numerous images and statements” have been circulating on social networks that she described as “completely false.” “My name has never appeared in court documents, sworn statements, victim testimonies, or FBI interviews related to the Epstein case. Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump.” The First Lady of the United States, Melania Trump, denied on Thursday having any ties to the discredited financier Jeffrey Epstein and requested a hearing in Congress to allow survivors of his abuse to tell their stories. The First Lady made these comments on Thursday during an unusual on-camera statement at the White House, where she stated she was responding to “numerous false images and statements about Epstein and about me” on social media, without referring to specific examples. “The lies that link me to the despicable Jeffrey Epstein must end today. I am not opposed to their ignorance, but I reject their malicious attempts to defame my reputation,” said Trump. Melania Trump affirmed that she “never had a relationship” with Epstein or with his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, with whom she said she had only a “casual correspondence” via email. “I am not a victim of Epstein. I had no knowledge whatsoever of the abuse committed by Epstein against his victims. I met my husband by chance at a party in New York City in 1998,” the First Lady stated. Epstein was arrested in 2019 on federal charges related to sex trafficking of minors. Those who lie about me lack ethical standards, humility, and respect. I was never involved in any capacity. I was not a participant.