The Dictatorship
Melania Trump denies all but ‘casual’ ties to Epstein and Maxwell
First lady Melania Trump denied any ties to convicted sex offenders Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell on Thursday in remarks that even President Donald Trump told MS NOW he was not aware of beforehand.
“The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today,” the first lady began in remarks delivered from the White House.
“The individuals lying about me are devoid of ethical standards, humility, and respect,” she said. “I do not object to their ignorance, but rather, I reject their mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation.”
It was unclear who or which statements, as well as what reporting, she was referring to.
“I have never been friends with Epstein,” she continued, adding that she and the 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.”
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.”
The impetus for her remarks was unclear. The first lady has not been accused of wrongdoing in relation to Epstein or Maxwell.
In a brief phone call following her remarks, the president told MS NOW he did not know about the first lady’s statement ahead of time, adding that “she didn’t know [Epstein].”
A White House official normally involved in external communications who was not authorized to speak publicly told MS NOW that many White House staffers were caught off guard by the first lady’s statement.
The first lady addressed a 2002 email she sent Maxwell that appears in the Epstein files, in which she praised a New York Magazine story about Epstein, complimented an accompanying photo of Maxwell and urged her to call her when she returned to New York, before signing off, “love, Melania.”
Maxwell appears to have replied to that message, calling the first lady “sweet pea” and saying she would not have time to see her in New York but would try to call.
Trump said her email “cannot be categorized as anything more than casual correspondence.”
“My polite reply to her email doesn’t amount to anything more than a trivial note,” she added.
The first lady also appeared to shoot down unverified rumors and “fake images” she said have circulated online, saying, “I am not Epstein’s victim. Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump.”
A witness statement included in the Epstein files alleges Epstein introduced the president and the first lady. But the first lady repeated Thursday that she met the president at a New York City party in 1998, and she did not meet Epstein until two years later.
Jake Traylor contributed reporting.
Julianne McShane is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW who also covers the politics of abortion and reproductive rights. You can send her tips from a non-work device on Signal at jmcshane.19 or follow her on X or Bluesky.
Jacqueline Alemany is co-anchor of “The Weekend” and a Washington correspondent for MS NOW.