Melania Trump speaks in Washington on Thursday. Photograph: Andrew Leyden/Zuma/ShutterstockView image in fullscreenMelania Trump speaks in Washington on Thursday. Photograph: Andrew Leyden/Zuma/ShutterstockMelania Trump says she not did not have relationship with Jeffrey EpsteinFirst lady denies being ‘Epstein’s victim’ and says convicted sex offender did not introduce her to Donald Trump
Melania Trump, the first lady, told reporters on Thursday that she “never had a relationship” with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.
It was unclear which specific accusations spurred the first lady to respond publicly. She delivered her scripted remarks at a podium in the same room Donald Trump used to address the nation on the war in Iran last week.
“I never been friends with Epstein,” Trump said in her statement. “I am not Epstein’s victim. Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump.”
The first lady went on to say that she and the president were invited to the same parties as Epstein “from time to time” as “overlapping in social circles is common in New York City and Palm Beach”. But she specifically denied that her emails to Maxwell were anything more than “casual correspondence”.
In her statement, Trump elaborated that she only met Epstein for the first time in 2000, at a party she attended with her husband. At the time she was known as Melania Knauss. “I had never met Epstein and had no knowledge of his criminal undertakings,” she said. “Numerous fake images and statements about Epstein and me have been calculating on social media for years now. Be cautious about what you believe.”
The Epstein files released by the Department of Justice earlier this year did contain one brief exchange that appeared to be between Melania Trump and Maxwell. It was signed: “Love, Melania.”
Although the email addresses of both the sender and the recipient are redacted, a second copy of the same email text also appears in another document released on Friday, which includes a reply from “G. Max”.
The first email, sent on the evening of 23 October 2002, with the subject line “HI!” begins “Dear G!”. The sender says there is a “nice story about JE in NY mag” before asking the recipient about their travels and to call them when they were back in New York.
In their reply, “G. Max” wrote that while they are already on their way back to the city they would not have time to see the sender, but they would “try and call”.
The email exchange was sent the week that New York magazine published a flattering profile of Jeffrey Epstein that included a photograph of Maxwell with Epstein. While the article was in the 28 October 2002 edition, new issues of the magazine are published one week prior to the cover date.
While the redactions in the documents mean that there is no proof that the exchange was with the future first lady, in her statement, Melania Trump appeared to reference these emails, although it is unclear if she was referring to this batch of communication.
“My email reply to Maxwell cannot be characterized as anything more than casual correspondence,” the first lady said. “My polite reply to her email doesn’t amount to anything more than a trivial note.”
Maxwell had socialized with the future Melania Trump in Palm Beach prior to the email exchange. Just over two weeks later, on 11 November 2002, they were photographed together in New York, along with Donald Trump and Naomi Campbell, at a Dolce & Gabbana event.
Just over two months later, in January 2003, Maxwell would present Epstein with a bound volume of 50th birthday greetings from friends and associates, including a crude drawing and enigmatic message in the name of Donald Trump.
The first lady also called on Congress to take sworn testimony in a public hearing from Epstein victims. Several victims did meet with the House oversight committee in a closed session last fall.
“We agree with First Lady Melania Trump’s call for a public hearing with the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein,” said Robert Garcia of California, ranking member of the House committee on oversight. “We encourage Chairman Comer to respond to the First Lady’s request and schedule a public hearing immediately.”
