Melania Trump Denies Epstein Ties, Calls for Congressional Hearings

Melania Trump publicly addressed online speculation Thursday, firmly denying any personal or romantic connection to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein and clarifying that she is not among his victims. Speaking from the White House foyer beneath the presidential seal, the first lady stated she met Donald Trump at a New York City party in 1998 — two years before she ever encountered Epstein at a separate event she attended alongside her then-boyfriend.

"The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today," she declared, reading a prepared statement while declining to field questions from reporters.

Melania also denied any friendship with Epstein's convicted associate Ghislaine Maxwell, describing a 2002 email she sent Maxwell — referencing a New York Magazine feature on Epstein — as nothing more than casual, trivial correspondence. The email, which surfaced in recently released government files, had fueled renewed public scrutiny of the first lady's connections to the disgraced financier.

In a surprising move, Melania urged Congress to organize public hearings where Epstein survivors could testify under oath — a proposal that drew pushback from roughly a dozen survivors who argued they had already done enough to expose Epstein's crimes and that the Justice Department should take responsibility for following through on transparency.

The statement comes shortly after President Trump dismissed Attorney General Pam Bondi amid criticism over the slow release of millions of Epstein-related documents. A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that approximately three-quarters of Americans — including a majority of Republicans — believe the government is concealing information about Epstein's alleged associates and clients.

Former White House press secretary Michael LaRosa described Melania's address as historically unprecedented, noting that no modern first lady had confronted public controversy so directly from the White House state floor. Her senior adviser, Marc Beckman, stated simply: "Enough is enough. The lies must stop."