Melania Trump Denies Epstein Ties and Calls for Congressional Hearings for Survivors

First Lady Melania Trump delivered a rare public address from the Grand Foyer of the White House on Thursday, April 9, 2026, denying any personal or criminal connection to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Speaking for approximately five minutes in what reporters described as an unusual and unannounced appearance, Melania Trump directly refuted one of the most persistent rumors surrounding her marriage — that Epstein had introduced her to Donald Trump. She stated she met her husband by chance at a New York City party in 1998 and first crossed paths with Epstein only in 2000, at an event she attended together with Donald Trump. The address marked one of the rare occasions on which the First Lady has spoken directly to a group of journalists, and its timing, amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East, drew immediate attention from the American press corps.

Melania denies email, island visits, and court links In her remarks, Melania Trump addressed a 2002 email she sent to Maxwell that was included in Epstein files released by the Department of Justice, in which she commented on a New York Magazine article about Epstein and wrote "Call me when you're back in NY." She described the message as nothing more than an "inconsequential note" and characterized her broader correspondence with Maxwell as "casual correspondence." Melania Trump stated she had never visited Epstein's private island, had never traveled on his plane, and had never been named in court documents, depositions, victim statements, or FBI interviews connected to the case. She declared she was neither a victim nor a participant in any of Epstein's criminal activities, and that her name had never appeared in legal proceedings surrounding the matter. She also noted that several individuals and companies, including the Daily Beast, James Carville, and HarperCollins UK, had been legally obligated to publicly apologize and retract statements about her. „The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today.” — Melania Trump via Reuters She warned the public to exercise caution about images and statements circulating on social media, which she described as "completely false."

Survivors reject congressional hearing proposal as burden-shifting Melania Trump concluded her address by calling on Congress to hold public hearings under oath for Epstein's victims, arguing that their testimonies should be permanently entered into the Congressional Record. A group of 13 Epstein survivors, along with the brother and sister of another victim, rejected the proposal, according to Reuters. They argued that Epstein's victims had already shown extraordinary courage by filing complaints and testifying, and that demanding more of them shifted the burden away from institutions. „Jeffrey Epstein's victims have already shown extraordinary courage by filing complaints and testifying. To ask more of them now is to shirk responsibilities, not to deliver justice.” — Epstein survivors group via Le Parisien Two survivors, Maria and Annie Farmer, separately called for "accountability, transparency and justice," according to the Associated Press. The group accused the First Lady of protecting those in power — including the Department of Justice, law enforcement, prosecutors, and the Trump administration — which they said had still not fully complied with legal requirements on the transparency of Epstein files.

Trump says he had no advance knowledge of wife's statement The address drew attention not only for its content but for its political context. President Donald Trump told the station MS Now on Thursday evening that he had no knowledge of his wife's planned statement, though a spokesperson for the First Lady told Reuters that the team in the West Wing had been informed in advance. Michael LaRosa, former press secretary for First Lady Jill Biden, told Reuters that a First Lady had never taken a public stance in this manner in recent times, and certainly not on the State Floor of the White House. The Fox News White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich said she had not received advance information on the motive for the statement and did not know whether Melania Trump was reacting to a specific development or anticipating one. President Trump had stated on February 3, 2026, that the United States should "move on" from the Epstein case. The address also came shortly after Trump dismissed Attorney General Pam Bondi, who had faced criticism over the pace of Epstein file releases. According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll from February, three-quarters of Americans surveyed believed the government was withholding information about Epstein's alleged clients.

Jeffrey Epstein, an American financier, was arrested in 2019 on federal charges of sex trafficking of minors. His death in a Manhattan jail cell that same year was ruled a suicide. The case generated years of legal proceedings, document releases, and public controversy over the identities of individuals in Epstein's social circle. In 2025, Melania Trump threatened to sue journalist Michael Wolff over claims that Epstein was part of her history with Donald Trump. Melania Trump is the first naturalized U.S. citizen to serve as First Lady of the United States, currently in her second term in that role since 2025.

13 (survivors) — Epstein survivors who rejected Melania's congressional hearing proposal