Melania Trump, wife of U.S. President Donald Trump, denied any ties to Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell in a rare address from the White House on Thursday.
The first lady began with remarks delivered from the White House: “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,” Melania said. “I do not object to their ignorance, but rather, I reject their mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation.”
Trump said she had never been friends with Epstein, though she acknowledged attending some of the same social events.
In relation to that, Melania Trump has denied any significant ties to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, describing any contact as "casual."
“I have never been friends with Epstein,” she continued, adding that she and the U.S. president attended the same parties as Epstein “from time to time, since overlapping in social circles is common in New York City and Palm Beach.”
Addressing a 2002 email exchange with Maxwell that appears in the Epstein files, she said: “My polite reply to her email doesn’t amount to anything more than a trivial note.”
She further added that the message “cannot be categorized as anything more than casual correspondence.”
The first lady, whose husband has repeatedly decried the push for transparency around Epstein as a “Democrat hoax” and fought the release of the Epstein files until it was inevitable, also called on Congress to facilitate a 'public hearing for the survivors.'
“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 said. “Then, and only then, will we have the truth.”
Notably, it was rare for the first lady to address such statements, as she has not been officially accused of wrongdoing in relation to Epstein or Maxwell.
