In a rare public address, US First Lady Melania Trump has denied ever having a friendship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, saying “the lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today”.
Trump said she never had a relationship with Epstein or his accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, and was neither a victim nor a witness to Epstein’s crimes.
“I [have] never been friends with Epstein,” she said. “I am not Epstein’s victim. Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump.”
The first lady also called for a congressional hearing for survivors of Epstein’s sex trafficking.
She downplayed her correspondence with Maxwell, describing a 2002 email exchange in which she complimented Maxwell over a magazine article, as nothing more than “casual correspondence”.
“My polite reply to her email doesn’t amount to anything more than a trivial note,” she said.
She also denied that Epstein had introduced her to Donald Trump, as is commonly reported. She said she had met her husband “by chance at a New York City party in 1998” and first met Epstein two years later.
“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,” she said.
Melania did not take any questions from reporters after her statement.
“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,” she said.
“I have never had any knowledge of Epstein’s abuse of his victims. I was never involved in any capacity, I was not a participant, was never on Epstein’s plane and never visited his private island.
“I have never been legally accused or convinced [sic] of a crime in connection with Epstein’s sex trafficking, abuse of minors and other repulsive behaviour.”
At the end of her statement, she said Epstein was not acting alone.
“Epstein was not alone. Several prominent male executives resigned from their powerful positions after this matter became widely politicised. Of course, this doesn’t amount to guilt, but we still must work openly and transparently to uncover the truth,” she said.
In a statement shortly after her address, House Oversight Committee’s top Democrat, Robert Garcia, said: “We agree with First Lady Melania Trump’s call for a public hearing with the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein. We encourage Chairman Comer to respond to the First Lady’s request and schedule a public hearing immediately.”