Overview
- Melania Trump, in a White House statement Thursday, denied any relationship with Jeffrey Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell and urged Congress to hold survivor‑focused hearings.
- She said her exchange with Maxwell was trivial, referring to a DOJ‑released 2002 email that begins “Dear G!” and ends “Love, Melania” about a New York Magazine profile of Epstein.
- The Justice Department’s trove also included an image from Epstein’s home that shows a photo of Donald Trump, Melania Trump, Epstein and Maxwell from a 2000 Mar‑a‑Lago event.
- A group of Epstein survivors and family members criticized her call for testimony as shifting the burden to victims, while Rep. Robert Garcia pressed House leaders to schedule a public hearing.
- President Trump said he “didn’t know anything about” the speech, and the episode renewed scrutiny of DOJ disclosures required by the Epstein Files Transparency Act and related oversight disputes.