Photo: Prather Reynolds, Photographer | Public domain | Wikimedia Commons
Epstein Survivors Split on Melania Trump’s Call for Congressional Hearings After She Denies Ties
On April 9, 2026 Melania Trump delivered an unusually lengthy, roughly six‑minute White House statement denying any close ties to Jeffrey Epstein — saying “I am not Epstein’s victim,” that she first met Epstein after meeting Donald Trump, denying travel on his plane or visits to his island, describing a 2002 email to Ghislaine Maxwell as a casual “Love, Melania” sign‑off, and urging that survivors’ testimony be entered into the congressional record amid the DOJ’s release of Epstein‑related documents. Reactions were split: some lawmakers from both parties backed her call for hearings and legislative action, while a group of survivors called the proposal a deflection that could retraumatize victims even as others said they would testify, and the DOJ urged survivors to work with law enforcement by contacting the FBI.
📌 Key Facts
- On April 9, 2026 First Lady Melania Trump delivered a rare, pre‑recorded White House statement of roughly six minutes denying ties to Jeffrey Epstein and urging that survivors testify before Congress.
- She said, "I am not Epstein's victim," denied that Epstein introduced her to Donald Trump, said she first encountered Epstein around 2000 after meeting Donald in 1998, and denied ever flying on Epstein’s plane or visiting his private island or having knowledge of his abuse.
- Melania described a 2002 email exchange with Ghislaine Maxwell—which ends "Love, Melania" and compliments a magazine photo—as a polite, casual or trivial reply rather than evidence of a close relationship.
- She called for survivors' testimony to be "permanently entered into the congressional record" and pressed for a public, survivor‑focused congressional hearing as a path to "the truth."
- Her remarks came as the Justice Department released millions of pages of Epstein‑related documents under the Epstein Files Transparency Act (including a redacted FBI interview that claimed Epstein introduced the Trumps) and amid controversy over earlier withheld or redacted records and an Oversight deposition of former AG Pam Bondi.
- The statement was reportedly unexpected inside the West Wing; a senior adviser said Melania acted because "enough is enough" and to refocus attention on her initiatives (including the Take It Down Act).
- Lawmakers reacted across party lines: some Democrats urged Oversight Chair James Comer to schedule hearings immediately, while some Republicans (including Reps. Nancy Mace and Thomas Massie) praised Melania and called for accountability related to Pam Bondi; other Republicans publicly supported her as well.
- Epstein survivors were split: a group of 15 said Melania was "shifting the burden" onto victims and warned hearings could retraumatize survivors, some individuals (e.g., Marina Lacerda) questioned the benefit of hearings, while others (e.g., Alicia Arden, Maria and Annie Farmer) supported testifying or urged accountability; the DOJ encouraged victims who wish to speak to contact the FBI rather than Congress.
📊 Relevant Data
In 2022, 28.2% of sex trafficking victimizations reported to law enforcement in the US were Black, compared to 66% White, 3.9% Asian, and less than 2% other races; this shows Black individuals are overrepresented relative to their 13.4% share of the US population (based on 2022 Census data), while White individuals are slightly overrepresented relative to their 59.3% share.
Human Trafficking Incidents Reported by Law Enforcement, 2022 — Bureau of Justice Statistics
In 2022, 85% of sex trafficking victimizations in the US involved females, with 42.3% of male victims and 44.9% of female victims aged 12-17, indicating a high prevalence of minor victims, especially among females.
Human Trafficking Incidents Reported by Law Enforcement, 2022 — Bureau of Justice Statistics
A 2025 whitepaper notes that testifying or giving depositions in human trafficking cases can cause retraumatization for child victims, with studies (including one from 1986-2001 with follow-ups) showing that children who testified multiple times experienced correlations with later defensive avoidance and internalization problems like depression; additionally, 75% of trafficked women reported recurrent thoughts of terrifying events, exacerbating PTSD symptoms during legal proceedings.
A Summary of the Neurobiological and Psychological Impacts of Discovery Depositions on Child Victims of Human Trafficking — Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office
As of early 2026, the release of Epstein files has led to several high-profile arrests, including Prince Andrew and Peter Mandelson, along with resignations such as those of Goldman Sachs' Kathy Ruemmler and Paul Weiss's Brad Karp, indicating some accountability actions despite initial perceptions of few consequences.
Epstein files: The arrests and the resignations — Al Jazeera
📰 Source Timeline (11)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
April 10, 2026
8:42 PM
Epstein survivors have mixed feelings on Melania Trump's call for hearing in Congress
New information:
- A group of 15 Epstein survivors released a joint statement saying Melania Trump is 'shifting the burden' onto survivors and calling her hearing proposal a 'deflection of responsibility, not justice.'
- Marina Lacerda (identified in a 2019 indictment as Minor-Victim 1) publicly questioned on Instagram whether a congressional hearing would achieve anything and warned it could retraumatize survivors who have already testified.
- Sisters Maria and Annie Farmer said they want 'accountability, transparency, and justice' and argued that if the federal government is serious, it should ask survivors what they want and 'follow the facts wherever they may lead.'
- Survivor Alicia Arden told NPR she supports testifying before Congress and described Melania Trump’s statement as 'brave,' underscoring that not all survivors oppose the call for hearings.
- The Department of Justice told NPR in a formal statement that it encourages any Epstein victims who wish to speak to contact the FBI, reiterating its preference for survivors to go through law‑enforcement channels rather than Congress.
3:50 PM
Melania Trump advisor says she's had 'enough' after breaking silence to deny Jeffrey Epstein connection
New information:
- Senior advisor Marc Beckman says Melania Trump broke her silence because 'enough is enough' and she wants the public to refocus on her achievements rather than Epstein‑related rumors.
- Beckman says Melania Trump feels she had to defend herself directly because legal efforts to stop what he calls 'lies and innuendos' in the media were insufficient and 'nobody's done it to date' on her behalf.
- The piece highlights her advocacy framing, including her push for a public congressional hearing for Epstein survivors and promotion of the 'Take It Down Act' she has championed, as central to how she wants to be perceived.
12:34 AM
Melania Trump's forceful Epstein denial draws bipartisan support from lawmakers
New information:
- Rep. Nancy Mace publicly praised Melania Trump’s statement, posted a photo captioned 'Melania Trump stands with Epstein victims,' and linked it to Melania’s support for the Take It Down Act against non‑consensual intimate images.
- Rep. Thomas Massie cited his bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act with Rep. Ro Khanna, said Melania’s request for survivor testimony is 'Todd Blanche’s job,' and called for former Attorney General Pam Bondi to be prosecuted over her handling of survivors.
- Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, now at odds with Donald Trump, nevertheless aligned herself with Melania’s remarks, saying she was 'grateful' for the statement, backed Massie’s call for DOJ prosecution, and underscored that Congress should legislate, not prosecute.
- The article notes that Democrats, including Rep. Robert Garcia, also began publicly responding to Melania’s statement, signaling at least some cross‑party support for bringing Epstein survivors before Congress, though Fox cuts off mid‑quote.
April 09, 2026
10:43 PM
In rare public address, Melania Trump denies close relationship with Epstein
New information:
- PBS frames the remarks explicitly as a 'rare public address from the White House' by Melania Trump.
- The segment emphasizes that she is denying 'allegations she had a close relationship' with Epstein and Maxwell, reinforcing that these are allegations, not established facts.
9:05 PM
Melania Trump denies close ties to Jeffrey Epstein in rare public statement
New information:
- NPR explicitly ties Melania Trump’s statement to a heavily redacted FBI interview in the newly released DOJ 'Epstein files' that claimed Epstein introduced Donald and Melania Trump.
- The article notes an earlier NPR investigation found DOJ had withheld some Epstein‑related documents naming President Trump from the public file dump, some of which were later released.
- It quotes her saying, "Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump," directly rebutting the FBI interview claim cited in the files.
- NPR reproduces more of the Maxwell email context, including Melania complimenting Maxwell’s appearance in a photo and writing, "give me a call when you are back in NY," signed "Love, Melania."
- The story connects the timing of her statement to the DOJ’s move a day earlier telling the House Oversight Committee that former AG Pam Bondi need not appear for an April 14 Epstein‑probe deposition.
7:51 PM
Melania Trump denies all but ‘casual’ ties to Epstein and Maxwell
New information:
- Confirms that the statement ran as a roughly six‑minute pre‑recorded video and that a White House official described the remarks to MS NOW as 'unexpected,' saying many staff were caught off guard.
- Direct quote that Melania Trump and President Donald Trump merely 'attended the same parties as Epstein from time to time' due to overlapping New York and Palm Beach social circles, which she frames as incidental contact rather than a relationship.
- Expanded explanation of the 2002 'Love, Melania' email to Ghislaine Maxwell: she characterizes it as a polite, trivial reply praising a magazine article and photo, insisting it is 'nothing more than casual correspondence.'
- On‑record denial of specific online rumors: she states, 'I am not Epstein’s victim. Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump.'
- Confirms that White House spokespeople did not immediately respond to MS NOW’s request for comment about her statement, suggesting this was driven by the first lady rather than a coordinated West Wing rollout.
7:30 PM
First lady Melania Trump slams "baseless lies" tying her to Jeffrey Epstein
New information:
- New, longer runtime detail: CBS reports the statement was about six minutes, versus earlier rough 'roughly three‑minute' descriptions.
- She explicitly states, 'I am not Epstein's victim,' and specifies she first crossed paths with Epstein in 2000 at an event she attended with Donald Trump, after meeting Donald in 1998 at a New York City party.
- She directly addresses the single email exchange with Ghislaine Maxwell revealed in DOJ records, characterizing it as a 'polite,' 'casual' reply.
- She categorically denies ever flying on Epstein’s plane or visiting his private island and says she had 'never had any knowledge of Epstein's abuse' and 'was never involved in any capacity.'
- The piece notes DOJ emails revealed that Melania Trump and Maxwell corresponded at least once over email, and that old photos of the Trumps with Epstein and Maxwell have long been public.
- She reiterates that survivors’ testimony should be 'permanently entered into the congressional record' and frames that as the path to 'the truth.'
7:27 PM
Melania Trump says she's "never been friends with Epstein" in rare address
New information:
- Axios headline language frames the April 9 remarks explicitly as a 'rare' public address by Melania Trump, underscoring how unusual it is for her to deliver a direct, six-minute statement from the White House.
- The Axios piece characterizes the address as an effort to personally distance herself from Epstein amid intensifying media focus and social-media speculation as more documents emerge.
- It reinforces that Melania framed the email ending 'Love, Melania' as a casual sign-off and reiterated that she first encountered Epstein only after meeting Donald Trump, not through him.
7:19 PM
Melania Trump Says She Was Not a Victim of Jeffrey Epstein
New information:
- The New York Times frames Melania Trump’s remarks explicitly around rebutting online and media speculation that she was herself a Jeffrey Epstein victim, matching the exact "not a victim" language used in her statement.
- The piece situates her comments within the broader political context of renewed scrutiny of Epstein‑related documents and the Trump White House, emphasizing that her statement was unusually lengthy and direct compared with her typical public profile.
- It underlines that she specified first encountering Epstein only after meeting Donald Trump in 1998, again in the 2000 timeframe, and stresses her categorical denial of any travel on Epstein’s plane or visits to his island as part of an effort to draw a clear line between social proximity and involvement in his crimes.
6:51 PM
WATCH: First lady Melania Trump denies any ties to Jeffrey Epstein and calls for survivors' testimony
New information:
- This piece is from PBS/AP and time-stamps the White House statement as delivered on April 9, 2026, around mid‑afternoon, explicitly framing it as an 'extraordinary' and 'seemingly out‑of‑the‑blue' address.
- It directly links Melania Trump’s remarks to the recent DOJ release of 'millions of pages' of Epstein‑related documents under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, noting lawmakers’ earlier anger over a limited initial release.
- The article describes and quotes from a specific 2002 email in those documents—beginning 'Dear G!' and ending 'Love, Melania,' praising a magazine article about 'JE'—and reports Melania’s characterization of her reply to Ghislaine Maxwell as 'casual correspondence' and 'a trifle.'
- It notes that Democrats, led by Rep. Robert Garcia as top Democrat on House Oversight, quickly seized on her call and publicly urged Republican Chair James Comer to schedule a public survivor‑focused hearing 'immediately.'
- The story underscores intra‑White House tension: Melania’s move pulls the Epstein affair back into the spotlight just as President Trump has been pressing to 'move on' and focus on the Iran war.