Melania Trump Condemns ‘Lies’ Linking Her to Epstein

WASHINGTON—First lady Melania Trump on Thursday condemned “lies” linking her to the disgraced late sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.

The first lady unexpectedly issued a statement in the afternoon that was not on the official White House schedule shared with reporters.

‘The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today. The individuals lying about me are devoid of ethical standards, humility, and respect,” she began.

“I do not object to their ignorance, but rather, I reject their mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation. I’ve never been friends with Epstein,” she added.

The first lady said she and President Donald Trump were occasionally invited to the same parties that Epstein attended because of common “overlapping” in social circles in New York City and Palm Beach, Florida.

“To be clear, I never had a relationship with Epstein or his accomplice, [Ghislaine] Maxwell,” she said. “My email reply to Maxwell cannot be categorized as anything more than casual correspondence. My polite reply to her email doesn’t amount to anything more than a trivial note.”

The first lady added that she is not a victim of Epstein’s and that she met her husband years before she ever crossed paths with Epstein.

“I am not Epstein’s victim. Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump,” she said. “I met my husband by chance at a New York City Party in 1998. This initial encounter with my husband is documented in detail in my book Melania.”

“The first time I crossed paths with Epstein was in the year 2000 at an event Donald and I attended together. At the time, I had never met Epstein and had no knowledge of his criminal undertakings,” she added.

She also blasted “fake images and statements” circulating online that allege a link between her and Epstein.

“Be cautious about what you believe. These images and stories are completely false,” she said.

She added:

I’m not a witness or a named witness in connection with any of Epstein’s crimes. My name has never appeared in court documents, depositions, victim statements or FBI interviews surrounding the Epstein matter. I have never had any knowledge of Epstein 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 convicted of a crime in connection with Epstein, sex trafficking, abuse of minors, and other repulsive behavior.

She said those attacking her with “smears” are “politically motivated.” The first lady noted that, through the legal system, the likes of the Daily Beast, James Carville, and HarperCollins UK have been required to publicly apologize to her. She also called on Congress to hold a public hearing for Epstein’s victims.

“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,” she said.

“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. Then and only then, we will have the truth,” the first lady concluded.

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