Melania Trump released a statement from the White House addressing claims about her alleged connections to Jeffrey Epstein, firmly denying any ties. Her remarks came shortly after a surprise appearance earlier in the week, where she responded publicly to ongoing speculation.
On April 9, the First Lady said that accusations linking her to Epstein were false and should end immediately, stating: “The lies linking me to the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today.”
She criticized those spreading the claims, adding that they lacked “ethical standards, humility and respect.”
Melania reiterated that she had never been friends with Epstein, explaining that she and Donald Trump occasionally attended the same social events due to overlapping circles in New York and Palm Beach, but insisted she never had any personal relationship with Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell.
She also addressed a resurfaced 2002 email to Maxwell, which appeared in the Epstein-related files released in January. In the message, she had written briefly about a magazine story mentioning Epstein and made casual, friendly remarks. Melania described the email as informal correspondence with no deeper meaning, saying it was “a trivial note” that had been misinterpreted.
During her statement, she called on Congress to hold public hearings and allow survivors to testify.
In response, survivors of Jeffrey Epstein issued a collective statement saying they had already endured significant hardship by coming forward and giving testimony, and argued that placing further demands on them would shift responsibility away from those in power.
They accused government institutions and officials of failing to fully comply with transparency requirements and said attention should instead focus on accountability within law enforcement and the justice system.
Separate statements from survivors Maria and Annie Farmer emphasized that the federal investigation has long been mishandled, citing ignored testimony, privacy violations, and withheld records. They called for full transparency, proper accountability, and a survivor-centered approach, stating that justice should follow the facts wherever they lead.
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