Azernews.Az

by Alimat Aliyeva

First Lady Melania Trump has denied any connections to Jeffrey Epstein, telling reporters at the White House that claims linking her to him “need to end today”, AzerNEWS reports, citing foreign media.

In an unexpected statement on Thursday, the First Lady also called for congressional hearings focused on survivors of Epstein’s sex trafficking network, emphasizing the importance of giving victims a platform to speak.

She further dismissed online rumors suggesting that Epstein introduced her to Donald Trump, calling them “mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation.”

It remains unclear what prompted the statement. However, it quickly drew mixed reactions from Epstein survivors. One survivor, Lisa Phillips, described the move as “bold,” but also questioned what further steps the First Lady might take to support victims.

There had been no prior indication from her office that such a statement would be made, and the White House did not include the topic in its daily briefing schedule.

President Donald Trump told MS Now that he was not aware of his wife’s announcement in advance. However, The New York Times later reported that a spokesperson for Melania Trump said the president knew she planned to speak, though it was unclear whether he was informed about the specific subject of her remarks.

Melania Trump also stated that she was never a victim of Epstein, saying she only briefly “crossed paths” with him around 2000.

Interestingly, the statement has reignited public attention on Epstein-related cases, which continue to generate political and legal debate years after his death. Analysts note that any high-profile comments from political figures on the case often lead to renewed scrutiny and media speculation.