The First Lady of the United States, Melania Trump, spoke from the White House on Thursday to attack "the lies that link me to the despicable Jeffrey Epstein." She stated that she had never been on Epstein's plane and never visited his private island, describing his actions as "repulsive." In her speech, Melania Trump called on Congress to hold public hearings for Epstein's victims to testify at the Capitol. "I ask Congress to provide a specific public hearing for the women victimized by Epstein, giving them the opportunity to testify under oath before Congress," she said. The First Lady also sought to downplay her relationship with Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's accomplice who was convicted of sex trafficking. She described a 2002 email exchange as "informal" and a "courteous" reply. Melania Trump emphasized that she was unaware of Epstein's crimes despite their social connections. She also mentioned that she had previously filed lawsuits in response to what she called "malicious and politically motivated defamations."
