Overview
- Melania Trump, in an unscheduled White House appearance Thursday, rejected claims she had any relationship with Jeffrey Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell and said Epstein did not introduce her to President Trump.
- She urged Congress to hold public hearings centered on survivors, calling for sworn testimony to be entered into the Congressional Record.
- The renewed scrutiny follows Justice Department releases required by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, including a 2002 email that appears to be from Melania to Maxwell about a magazine story on “JE” and a photo showing Donald Trump, Melania, Epstein, and Maxwell together.
- Reactions diverged, as survivor groups criticized her call as shifting the burden to victims, while Rep. Robert Garcia urged the House Oversight chair to schedule a public hearing immediately.
- Reports described the timing as a surprise inside the White House, and the case continues to reverberate as ongoing DOJ reviews and oversight track back to Epstein’s 2008 conviction, his 2019 arrest and death, and Maxwell’s later conviction.