Overview
- Melania Trump, who delivered a brief on‑camera statement at the White House on Thursday, denied any relationship with Jeffrey Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell and urged Congress to hold hearings for survivors to testify under oath.
- The Justice Department’s recent Epstein files release included a 2002 message from “Melania” to “G” that praised a New York Magazine piece on Epstein, which she described as casual correspondence and a trivial note.
- Survivors and family members criticized her call for new testimony, arguing it shifts the burden onto victims and deflects attention from officials and the handling of the files, including complaints about redactions and the pace of disclosures.
- News outlets reported President Trump said he didn’t know about his wife’s plan to speak, a first lady spokesperson said the West Wing was aware, and he later told the New York Times he allowed the appearance though he did not recommend it.
- Photos and reporting show social overlap in 2000 at Mar‑a‑Lago, and the DOJ releases driven by the Epstein Files Transparency Act have fueled legal disputes and retractions while increasing pressure on Congress and oversight committees to respond.