Trump Claims He Didn’t Advise Melania’s Epstein Denial—But Welcomed the Spotlight Anyway

In a revealing interview with The New York Times, Donald Trump admitted he did not recommend Melania Trump’s sudden public statement denying any relationship with Jeffrey Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell. The first lady’s unexpected White House press conference on Thursday thrust the Epstein scandal back into the spotlight, a story the Trump administration has long tried to dodge.

Trump told the Times he knew Melania planned to speak but was unaware of what she would say. “She finds it very insulting,” Trump said of the persistent rumors that Epstein introduced Melania to him. “And I said, ‘If you want to do that, you can do that.’ I said if she wants to do it—I didn’t recommend it, but I said: If you want to do it...”

The statement came as Melania denied any connection to Epstein or Maxwell and criticized the media for fueling false narratives. She also called on Congress to allow Epstein’s victims to testify, an unusual move for a first lady historically silent on the Epstein controversy.

Trump insisted the two discussed the statement for “about two minutes,” though he did not specify when. He also claimed he wasn’t bothered by the renewed headlines, saying, “No, I never get upset.” He added, “I don’t mind anything having to do with Epstein… The only thing I don’t like is I waste a lot of time” on the subject.

The timing of Melania’s statement was odd and unexpected. Epstein’s shadow has long hovered over Trump’s second term and post-presidency, with allegations of pay-to-play schemes and elite access swirling around Mar-a-Lago and Trump’s social circle. Despite Melania’s insistence that she met Trump at a New York party in 1998—contradicting claims from Trump’s former envoy Paolo Zampolli that Epstein introduced them—photos from 2000 show the couple alongside Epstein and Maxwell at Mar-a-Lago.

This latest episode underscores how the Epstein scandal continues to haunt the Trump orbit, despite repeated attempts to downplay or deny connections. Melania’s rare public confrontation with the story, even if not at Donald Trump’s urging, signals that the administration’s efforts to sweep Epstein under the rug are far from over.

The White House did not respond to requests for comment following the interview. But this back-and-forth over Epstein’s ties to the Trumps is a reminder that when it comes to corruption and scandal, the story is never truly closed.