Epstein Boasted of Intimate Ties to Melania Trump — She Denies Ever Knowing Him

The first lady’s rare public statement on Thursday was a blunt repudiation of any connection to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. “The lies linking me to the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today,” Melania Trump declared from the White House, insisting she “never had any knowledge of Epstein abuse of his victims” and “was never on Epstein’s plane and never visited his private island.”

But those denials clash sharply with exclusive recordings obtained by the Daily Beast, in which Epstein boasts to author Michael Wolff in 2017 that he was Trump’s “closest friend for 10 years.” Epstein even claims the first time Donald Trump slept with Melania was on Epstein’s private jet, infamously dubbed the “Lolita Express” for its role ferrying underage girls.

The recordings come from interviews Epstein gave before his 2019 jailhouse death, which authorities ruled a suicide. They add a new layer of disturbing detail to the growing evidence of Epstein’s deep entanglement with powerful figures — including the Trumps.

Melania also addressed emails linking her to Epstein’s convicted accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking. She called her email exchange with Maxwell “nothing more than casual correspondence” and “a trivial note.” Yet the released Epstein files show a 2002 email from Melania to Maxwell with a warm “Love, Melania” signoff — hardly casual or trivial.

Another email from an unidentified sender to Epstein after the 2016 election references Melania’s first meeting with Trump aboard Epstein’s plane, suggesting Epstein’s network was closely intertwined with the couple’s rise.

Despite this, Melania insists Epstein did not introduce her to Donald Trump, claiming they met “by chance at the New York City party in 1998.” She also says her first encounter with Epstein was in 2000 at an event with her husband.

The stark contradictions between Epstein’s boasts and Melania’s denials highlight the persistent effort by elites to distance themselves from Epstein’s crimes. As new evidence surfaces, the Trump family’s ties to Epstein’s orbit demand scrutiny — not silence.

This latest revelation underscores how Epstein’s network operated with impunity, shielded by wealth and influence. It also raises urgent questions about what the Trumps knew and when — and why they continue to deny any meaningful connection to one of the most notorious sex traffickers in recent history.