Melania Trump says she’s never had a relationship with Epstein, Maxwell – National
Trump claimed that she never had a relationship with Epstein or his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, with whom she said she had only a “casual correspondence.”
“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,” the first lady said as she read a statement at the White House.
“To be clear, I never had a relationship with Epstein or his accomplice, [Ghislaine] Maxwell,” she said.
“My email reply to Maxwell cannot be categorized as anything more than casual correspondence. My polite reply to her email doesn’t amount to anything more than a trifle.
“I am not Epstein’s victim. Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump,” she claimed, without clarifying what email reply she was referring to.
Trump said that she met her husband, U.S. President Donald Trump, “by chance” at a New York City party in 1998.
She went on to say that she first “crossed paths with Epstein” in 2000 at an event where she was with her husband.
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“At the time, I had never met Epstein and had no knowledge of his criminal undertakings,” she said.
She said that “numerous fake images” and statements about Epstein and herself “have been circulating on social media for years now.”
“Be cautious about what you believe: These images and stories are completely false,” she continued. “I am 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.”
She said that the “stories are completely false” and said online accusations that say she was somehow involved with Epstein are “smears about me.”
“The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today. The individuals lying about me are devoid of ethical standards, humility and respect. I do not object to their ignorance, but rather I reject their mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation,” she said.
“My attorneys and I have fought these unfounded and baseless lies with success,” she said, before naming outlet Daily Beast, political consultant James Carville and book publisher HarperCollins UK, saying they were “legally obligated” to publicly apologize and retract “lies” about her.
Trump said that she “never had any knowledge of Epstein’s abuse of his victims.”
“I was never involved in any capacity. I was not a participant, was never on Epstein’s plane, and never visited his private island,” she added. “I have never been legally accused or convicted of a crime in connection with Epstein’s sex trafficking, abuse of minors, and other repulsive behaviour.”
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She called on Congress to allow Epstein’s victims to testify on Capitol Hill.
“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 politicized. Of course, this doesn’t amount to guilt, but we still must work openly and transparently to uncover the truth,” she said.
“I call on Congress to provide the women who have been victimized 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,” Trump continued.
“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,” she concluded.
It is unclear what prompted Trump’s statement.
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Her message comes as the Trump administration continues to face criticism since the rollout of the Epstein files began in December.
Department officials have defended their handling of the files, saying they took pains to release the files as quickly as possible under the law while also protecting victims. Officials have said errors were inevitable given the volume of the materials, the number of lawyers viewing the files and the speed at which the department had to release them.
The department has said it’s entitled to withhold records that exposed potential abuse victims, were duplicates or protected by legal privileges, or related to an ongoing criminal investigation.
—With files from The Associated Press
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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