By Sabiu Abdullahi
US First Lady Melania Trump has publicly rejected claims linking her to late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, saying she has no connection to him and was never one of his victims.
She made the remarks on April 10 in Washington during a rare public statement at the White House, where she addressed growing online speculation about her past and Epstein’s social circle.
Mrs Trump also pushed back against suggestions that Epstein introduced her to US President Donald Trump, insisting she first met her husband at a New York City gathering in 1998. She said she only encountered Epstein later at a separate event attended with Mr Trump.
“The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today,” Mrs Trump said while reading from a prepared statement. She refused to take questions from reporters present.
“I am not Epstein’s victim,” she added, dismissing what she described as false claims about her.
Her comments come as renewed attention builds around the Epstein case, which continues to generate political debate in Washington. The controversy has also drawn criticism of how federal authorities have handled related documents.
Mrs Trump also urged lawmakers to hold open congressional hearings so victims could testify publicly under oath. Her proposal raises the possibility of further scrutiny of the case, which President Trump has attempted to move past.
“I think it’s really time for the country to get on to something else, really, now that nothing came out about me,” Mr Trump said earlier in February.
She also addressed her past interactions with Epstein’s associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, saying any communication was limited and informal. Mrs Trump denied ever having a personal relationship with Epstein.
“I have never been friends with Epstein,” she said. “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.”
Mrs Trump added that she first “crossed paths” with Epstein in 2000, years before her marriage, and said she had no knowledge of his criminal activities at the time.
“At the time, I had never met Epstein and had no knowledge of his criminal undertakings,” she said.
Epstein, who previously pleaded guilty in 2008 to state charges in Florida, later faced federal sex-trafficking charges before his death in 2019 in a New York jail, which authorities ruled a suicide.
Reports have also pointed to a 2002 email attributed to Mrs Trump and sent to Ghislaine Maxwell regarding a New York magazine article about Epstein. She described the message as minor and informal.
On April 10, she said the email amounted to “casual correspondence” and called it “a trivial note”.
A senior adviser to the First Lady said her statement was issued to counter what he described as false narratives, adding: “First Lady Melania Trump spoke out now because enough is enough. The lies must stop.”
The renewed discussion has again placed the Epstein case in public debate, with political figures and victims’ groups divided over calls for wider public hearings.
