Epstein Survivors Push Back on Melania Trump’s Call for Congressional Hearing

Melania Trump stepped into the spotlight this week with a public statement denying any meaningful ties to Jeffrey Epstein and calling on Congress to hold a hearing focused on Epstein’s survivors. At the White House, she said she was not a victim, did not know about Epstein’s crimes, and urged lawmakers to “provide the women who have been victimized by Epstein with a public hearing specifically centered around the survivors.”

But instead of rallying survivors, the First Lady’s call sparked a wave of criticism from those who lived through Epstein’s abuse. A group of 15 survivors issued a statement accusing Melania of “shifting the burden” onto victims while letting law enforcement, prosecutors, and the Trump administration off the hook.

“Asking more of them now is a deflection of responsibility, not justice,” their statement said.

Marina Lacerda, identified as Minor-Victim 1 in Epstein’s 2019 indictment, voiced her skepticism directly on social media. “You want to retraumatize us and ask us to go in front of Congress and tell them our story, which we have told some of them already,” Lacerda said. “And then do absolutely nothing.”

Sisters Maria and Annie Farmer, who also say they were abused by Epstein, echoed the call for “accountability, transparency, and justice,” urging the federal government to listen to survivors’ needs and “follow the facts wherever they may lead.”

Yet not all survivors reject the idea of testifying. Alicia Arden, who says Epstein assaulted her as a young model, called Melania’s statement “brave” and said she is willing to testify before Congress. “Everything has always needed to come out about the files,” Arden told NPR. “If they feel like it’s a burden to them, then they don’t have to. I don’t feel like it’s a burden on me.”

Arden filed a police report against Epstein back in 2006, before his indictment. She said she hopes Melania would join survivors in testifying, but the White House has not responded to that suggestion.

Attorney Gloria Allred, who represents dozens of Epstein survivors, welcomed the First Lady’s statement but stressed survivors must have control over whether they testify. “There reportedly are over a thousand survivors,” Allred said. “It’s time for them to have control over their own decisions.” She also urged Melania Trump to testify herself, calling it a “powerful example.”

Meanwhile, members of Congress from both parties are publicly supporting Melania’s call. California Democrat Robert Garcia urged Kentucky Republican James Comer, chair of the House Oversight Committee, to schedule a hearing immediately. South Carolina Republican Nancy Mace, a survivor herself, called the First Lady’s statement “momentous” and personal rather than political.

But the silence from Comer’s office and the mixed reactions from survivors reveal the deep mistrust still surrounding Epstein’s legacy. After years of cover-ups, withheld documents, and powerful figures escaping charges, survivors want more than hearings—they want real accountability.

Melania Trump’s call may have broken the silence in Washington, but the question remains: Will Congress listen to survivors on their terms, or will this be another empty spectacle in a long saga of injustice?