Melania Trump made an unexpected appearance at the White House Thursday to deny any connection to Jeffrey Epstein, calling rumors linking her to the convicted sex offender 'lies' that need to end. The first lady stated she never had a relationship with Epstein, was not a victim of his abuse, and had no knowledge of his crimes. She addressed what she called 'numerous fake images and statements' that have circulated for years.
Mrs. Trump explained that she and Donald Trump occasionally attended the same parties as Epstein due to overlapping social circles in New York City, but emphasized their interactions were minimal. She clarified that Epstein did not introduce her to her husband, contradicting speculation about their meeting. The first lady referenced her well-documented account of meeting Trump at the Kit Kat Club in 1998, introduced by Italian modeling agent Paolo Zampolli, who had business connections to Epstein.
Addressing her appearance in the Epstein files, Mrs. Trump explained an email exchange with Ghislaine Maxwell as 'casual correspondence' rather than a relationship. She concluded by calling on Congress to hold hearings for Epstein's victims. The statement came without clear explanation of why she chose this moment to address the allegations, though a spokesperson confirmed President Trump was aware of her planned remarks.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing