By Jack Phillips
Contributing Writer
First Lady Melania Trump on Thursday disputed allegations that were made about her and Jeffrey Epstein, vowed legal response against individuals who made those claims, and called on Congress to give victims of the deceased sex offender the opportunity to testify.
“The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today,” the first lady said in a speech at the White House.
“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.”
The first lady further clarified the history between herself and President Donald Trump and Epstein during the comments at the White House.
She said she has “never been friends with Epstein” and that “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.”
“To be clear, I never had a relationship with Epstein or his accomplice Maxwell,” referring to Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for charges including sex trafficking. “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. I am not Epstein’s victim. Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump. I met my husband by chance at a New York City party in 1998.”
The first lady said her “name has never appeared in court documents” and has not appeared in “victim statements or FBI interviews surrounding the Epstein matter.”
She called on Congress to “provide the women who have been victimized by Epstein with a public hearing specifically centered around the survivors” and that “each and every woman” should be able to provide testimony.
“Give these victims their opportunity to testify under oath in front of Congress with the power of sworn testimony,” the first lady 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.”
She added: “Several prominent male executives resigned from their powerful positions after this matter became widely politicized. Of course, this doesn’t amount to guilt, but we still must work openly and transparently to uncover the truth.”
While she did not make specific mention of claims that were made about her and Epstein, the first lady noted that multiple companies and people had to publicly apologize for those claims.
“The false smears about me from mean-spirited and politically motivated individuals and entities looking to cause damage to my good name to gain financially and climb politically must stop,” she said.
She indicated that her attorneys would pursue further legal action against individuals who make Epstein-related claims about her.
“My attorneys and I have fought these unfounded and baseless lies with success,” she said, “and will continue to maintain my sound reputation without hesitation.”
Last year, President Trump signed a congressional bill into law that mandated the release of millions of files related to Maxwell and Epstein, who was found dead in a New York City jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking and conspiracy charges.
Reuters contributed to this report.
