Melania Trump denies ties to Jeffrey Epstein and calls for congressional victim hearings

Melania Trump, First Lady of the United States, issued a public statement in Washington on Thursday, refuting any personal connection to Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender, or his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell. Her remarks aimed to address ongoing public speculation and recently disclosed documents, emphasizing that she was neither an acquaintance of Epstein nor a victim of his activities.

Ms. Trump recounted meeting Epstein for the first time in 2000 at a social gathering attended by her husband, Donald Trump. She maintained that she was unaware of Epstein's criminal conduct at that time. While acknowledging that social circles in New York City and Palm Beach occasionally intersected with Epstein's, she described any email exchanges with Maxwell as "casual." This clarification comes after the Department of Justice released documents earlier this year, which contained an email exchange between individuals identified as "Melania" and "G. Max" that mentioned a favorable article about Epstein.

Furthermore, First Lady urged Congress to convene a public hearing to gather sworn testimony from Epstein's victims. This call was echoed by Representative Robert Garcia, the ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight, who encouraged Chairman Comer to schedule such a hearing without delay.