Melania Trump Denies Epstein Ties in Rare White House Statement, Calls for Survivor Hearings

In a rare and forceful statement from the White House, First Lady Melania Trump denied any involvement with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, calling allegations linking her to him “false” and defamatory. She insisted she never had a relationship with Epstein and was unaware of his crimes.

“I never made friends with Epstein. Donald and I were invited to the same parties as Epstein from time to time,” Melania said, attempting to distance herself and the former president from the disgraced financier’s circle.

The statement also addressed Melania’s past correspondence with Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, revealed in documents released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. She characterized the email exchange as “casual” and insisted it did not indicate any meaningful relationship.

“I’m not a witness or a main witness in connection with any of Epstein’s crimes,” she added, rejecting circulating “fake images” and stories that claimed she met Donald Trump through Epstein or visited his infamous island.

Significantly, Melania called on Congress to hold public hearings focused on Epstein’s victims, urging lawmakers to provide survivors the opportunity to testify under oath. “Each and every woman should have a day to tell her story in public, if she wishes,” she said.

Survivors and advocacy groups quickly responded with skepticism. A statement from Epstein survivors criticized Melania’s call for more testimony as a “deflection of responsibility, not justice,” highlighting that the Trump administration has yet to fully comply with transparency laws. They argued that shifting the burden onto survivors under politicized conditions protects the powerful institutions and figures implicated in Epstein’s network.

Meanwhile, the House Oversight Committee, which is investigating the federal government’s handling of Epstein and Maxwell cases, welcomed Melania’s call. Ranking member Rep. Robert Garcia urged the committee’s chairman to schedule public hearings without delay.

Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. Maxwell was subsequently convicted and is serving a 20-year sentence.

Melania Trump’s statement stands out amid ongoing scrutiny of the Trump administration’s ties to Epstein’s circle and the broader fight for accountability. Her insistence on public hearings for survivors contrasts sharply with the administration’s historically opaque approach to the Epstein files, raising questions about the motivations behind this sudden intervention from the White House.