Melania Trump Denies Epstein Ties, Calls for Hearings

In a rare public statement, First Lady Melania Trump has directly addressed the persistent rumors linking her to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Speaking at the White House on April 9th, Trump firmly rejected the “lies” and “defamatory” claims, demanding an end to the speculation surrounding her connection to the disgraced financier.

Denying Relationships and Casual Correspondence

Trump explicitly stated, “To be clear, I never had a relationship with Epstein or his accomplice Maxwell.” She characterized her email reply to Maxwell as merely “casual correspondence” and a “polite reply” that did not signify any deeper connection or involvement. She also pushed back against any suggestion that she was a victim or that Epstein introduced her to her husband, President Donald Trump.

Furthermore, Trump asserted she had “no knowledge of his criminal undertakings” and dismissed images of her with Epstein circulating on social media as “completely false.” She clarified, “I’m not a witness or a main witness in connection with any of Epstein’s crimes. I have never had any knowledge of Epstein’s abuse of his victims. I was never involved in any capacity.”

Urging Congressional Action for Survivors

Beyond addressing the rumors, Melania Trump used her platform to call for congressional action. She urged Congress to grant Epstein survivors a public hearing, allowing them to testify under oath. “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,” she stated. “Then, and only then, we will have the truth.”

This statement comes at a time when polls indicate a partisan divide on the Epstein matter, with a lower percentage of Republicans reporting significant awareness of the released files compared to Democrats. While President Trump has stated he had no prior knowledge of his wife’s speech, several members of Congress, including South Carolina Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace, thanked the First Lady for her leadership and urged colleagues to act on her request, emphasizing that “Epstein was not alone.”

Survivors’ Response and Calls for Transparency

However, some of Epstein’s alleged victims, including Danielle Bensky and Annie Farmer, along with relatives of Virginia Giuffre, have dismissed Trump’s calls for hearings. They issued a statement suggesting that Melania Trump’s remarks shift the burden onto survivors and benefit from “politicized conditions that protect those with power.” The statement also noted the Trump Administration’s alleged lack of full compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, concluding, “Survivors have done their part. Now it’s time for those in power to do theirs.”