Denies connection to sex offender Why now? Melania Trump's puzzling Epstein appearance
Melania Trump rarely appears alone in front of the press. But now she is talking about a topic that her husband was so keen to avoid: the Epstein scandal. Many are wondering: what kind of appearance was that?
10.04.2026, 05:03
10.04.2026, 08:28
dpa
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- US First Lady Melania Trump surprisingly denied closer contact with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Thursday.
- Donald Trump says he knew nothing about his wife's advance.
- The First Lady's statement came as a surprise to Washington, as the Epstein case had just disappeared from the headlines.
In a memorable appearance, Melania Trump has provided a new twist in the Epstein scandal - and turned the spotlight on herself and her husband, US President Donald Trump. The First Lady denied being close to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and threatened legal consequences if false allegations were to be spread. She left open what prompted the First Lady to make the statement at the White House on Thursday - leaving room for speculation.
"The lies that link me to the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein must come to an end today," said Melania Trump at a specially scheduled press conference - a stage that the First Lady uses extremely rarely. Questions from the journalists present were not permitted. Her husband did not accompany her. And even in the hours that followed, the President did not comment on the Truth Social platform - where he posted other things at the same time.
According to his own statements, US President Donald Trump was not privy to his wife's plans to comment on Epstein. He "knew nothing about it", Trump told a reporter from US broadcaster MSNow.
Melania Trump: "I was never friends with Epstein."
Image: dpa
The First Lady rarely makes statements.
Image: dpa
The First Lady spoke for six minutes.
Image: dpa
Documents with redacted passages on the Epstein case lie on a table. (archive image)
Image: dpa
Melania Trump: "I was never friends with Epstein."
Image: dpa
The First Lady rarely makes statements.
Image: dpa
The First Lady spoke for six minutes.
Image: dpa
Documents with redacted passages on the Epstein case lie on a table. (archive image)
Image: dpa
Why is her appearance coming now?
The timing of her appearance raises questions: Melania has not previously been at the center of the Epstein investigation. According to observers, she could have used the appearance to anticipate upcoming publications. This is because the First Lady also combined her statements with a threat against all those actors who want to damage her reputation. Jon Favreau, a well-known podcaster from the USA, wrote on the X platform: "Okay, who's going to publish the Melania/Epstein story that she was just trying to pre-empt?". Many other posts went in a similar direction.
Melania Trump also denied a closer relationship with Epstein's aide Ghislaine Maxwell in her roughly six-minute statement. "My email response to Maxwell cannot be categorized as anything more than casual correspondence," the first lady said, without giving details.
The Democrats on a congressional committee had previously published an email from 2002 addressed to "G!" and signed by "Melania". Among other things, the email refers to a possible meeting in New York and an article about "JE". The details of the sender and recipient have been redacted.
Decades ago, multimillionaire Jeffrey Epstein from New York ran an abuse ring that victimized many women and minors. Over several years, Epstein is said to have abused minors in New York and Florida himself. Epstein died in prison in 2019 at the age of 66.
Melania against Donald Trump's strategy?
The First Lady's appearance also raises questions because it does not fit in with the strategy that the White House has pursued in recent months regarding the Epstein scandal. Namely: often remaining silent or playing it down when questions about Donald Trump arose. In recent months, the White House had done everything it could to keep the president as far away from the scandal as possible.
President Trump and his spokeswoman repeatedly emphasized that the focus should be on things that really mattered to the country. The US government even accused the Democrats of using the Epstein scandal as a political maneuver against Trump. Melania Trump's statement - intentionally or unintentionally - now also shines a spotlight on her husband.
Donald Trump had fought tooth and nail against the publication of the investigation files in the Epstein case, although he had called for the exact opposite during the presidential election campaign. This had fueled speculation. Epstein and Trump knew each other - which doesn't mean anything per se. It was only under pressure from Congress that Trump then signed the legally mandated publication of the investigation files.
Push for a reappraisal in Congress
Melania Trump went on to say that she herself had not been a victim of Epstein. She called on Congress to allow victims of the sex offender to testify under oath. "Every single woman should be given the opportunity to tell their story publicly if they wish."
She received encouragement from Democratic MP Robert Garcia, of all people. He called on the responsible Republican committee chairman, James Comer, to schedule a public hearing. Republican MP Thomas Massie, who had helped initiate the publication of the Epstein investigation files, opposed this. The victims had already had the chance to testify, but the US Department of Justice had failed to act. He called for criminal investigations.
