Melania Trump has denied having any relationship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein in a rare public statement.
Speaking beneath the presidential seal in the White House foyer she said she was not “Epstein’s victim” and denied online speculation that he had introduced her to Donald Trump, who she met at a New York City party in 1998.
She also urged Congress to provide public hearings for Epstein victims to tell their stories under oath, prompting Democrats to renew calls for a public hearing.
“The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today,” Melania Trump said, reading a statement and declining to take questions from reporters.
She did not say why she chose to speak out on Thursday, but one of her advisers said she wanted to put an end to “lies” .
Marc Beckman, her senior adviser, told the Reuters news agency in a statement: “First Lady Melania Trump spoke out now because enough is enough. The lies must stop.”
The first lady said she had never had a relationship with Epstein or his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, with whom she said she had only a casual correspondence.
“The first time I crossed paths with Epstein was in the year 2000 at an event Donald and I attended together,” she said.
“At the time, I had never met Epstein and had no knowledge of his criminal undertakings.
“Numerous fake images and statements about Epstein and me have been circulating on social media for years now.”
Branding them “completely false” and warning people to be cautious about what they believe, she went on: “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’s abuse of his victims. I was never involved in any capacity.
“I was not a participant. I 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 behaviour.
“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.”
Through her lawyers Melania said she had “fought these unfounded and baseless lies with success”, and vowed to continue to do so.
She continued: “Now is the time for Congress to act. 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.
“I call on Congress to provide the women who have been victimised by Epstein with a public hearing specifically centred around the survivors.
“Give these victims their opportunity to testify under oath in front of Congress with the power of sworn testimony. 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 will we have the truth.”
The extraordinary address brings renewed scrutiny to the Epstein case, which has angered many Trump supporters, who accuse his administration of mishandling disclosures from government files.
The US President last week fired his attorney general, Pam Bondi, a particular target of ire for Trump loyalists after the Justice Department slow-walked the release of millions of files related to Epstein.
Trump, a onetime friend of Epstein who said he cut ties with the financier in the early 2000s, is among many famous people – celebrities, politicians and intellectuals – named in the government files.
Democrats in Washington have seized on her comments and backed her call for a congressional hearing.
In a social media post, congressman Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee that is investigating Epstein, called on its Republican chairman to schedule a public hearing “immediately”.
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.
— Congressman Robert Garcia (@RepRobertGarcia) April 9, 2026The Epstein case has threatened to cast a shadow over the upcoming state visit by the King to the US, with Charles asked to meet with survivors during his trip.
There have also been continuing calls for his brother, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, to give evidence to Congress.
Epstein, a convicted sex offender, was facing federal charges of sex-trafficking minors when he died in jail in 2019 in what was ruled a suicide.
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