First Lady Melania Trump stepped in front of the White House Grand Foyer on Thursday afternoon to deliver a six-minute statement that brought the Jeffrey Epstein story right back into the spotlight.
“The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today,” Melania said. “The individuals lying about me are devoid of ethical standards, humility, and respect. I do not object to their ignorance, but rather, I reject their mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation.”
First Lady Melania Trump’s Statement pic.twitter.com/fSEz24NEyg
— First Lady Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) April 9, 2026
The First Lady stood firm in denying any connections to Epstein and his notorious crimes, specifically any claims that she was herself a victim.
“I am not Epstein’s victim,” she sternly told the room. “Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump.” She would go on to explain how she met her husband “by chance, at a New York City party in 1998,” a timeline that she said is “documented in detail” in her memoir.
“I have never been friends with Epstein. Donald and I were invited to the same parties as Epstein from time to time, since overlapping in social circles is common in New York City and Palm Beach,” Melania added.
She also addressed the viral 2002 email to Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s convicted co-conspirator.
“My email reply to Maxwell cannot be categorized as anything more than casual correspondence,” she explained. “My polite reply to her email doesn’t amount to anything more than a trivial note.”
Going further, Melania confirmed she was never on Epstein’s plane, never visited his private island, and that her name has never appeared “in court documents, depositions, victim statements, or FBI interviews surrounding the Epstein matter.”
She then called out specific news outlets and individuals by name for spreading alleged lies that connected her to Epstein.
“Several individuals and companies have been legally obligated to publicly apologize and retract their lies about me,” she said before directly calling out The Daily Beast, political commentator James Carville, and Harper Collins UK as examples of parties that were forced to do exactly that.
Melania also asked Congress to hold public hearings for Epstein’s survivors.
“I call on Congress to provide the women who have been victimized by Epstein with a public hearing specifically centered around the survivors. Give these victims their opportunity to testify under oath in front of Congress, with the power of sworn testimony. 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 added.
“Now is the time for Congress to act. Epstein was not alone…then, and only then, will we have the truth,” The First Lady stated.
Melania did not take questions.
