Melania Trump Denies Any Epstein Friendship, Calls ‘Love, Melania’ Maxwell Email Casual and Urges Public Survivor Hearings
First lady Melania Trump, in a roughly six‑minute prerecorded White House statement delivered April 9, 2026, forcefully denied any personal ties to Jeffrey Epstein — saying she is “not Epstein’s victim,” that she first crossed paths with Epstein in 2000 after meeting Donald Trump in 1998, and that she never flew on his plane, visited his island, or had knowledge of his abuse — while characterizing a single 2002 email to Ghislaine Maxwell ending “Love, Melania” as a polite, casual reply about a magazine item. She urged that survivors’ testimony be entered into the congressional record and called for public hearings as renewed scrutiny followed the Justice Department’s release of millions of Epstein‑related records, prompting Democratic demands for an immediate survivor‑focused hearing.
📌 Key Facts
- On April 9, 2026, Melania Trump delivered a pre‑recorded, roughly six‑minute statement (mid‑afternoon) addressing speculation tying her to Jeffrey Epstein; officials described the remarks as extraordinary and unexpected.
- She said, "I am not Epstein's victim," denied that Epstein introduced her to Donald Trump, and said she first crossed paths with Epstein around 2000 at an event she attended with Donald after meeting him in 1998.
- She categorically denied ever flying on Epstein’s plane or visiting his private island, saying she never had knowledge of Epstein’s abuse and was never involved in any capacity.
- DOJ records show at least one email exchange between Melania Trump and Ghislaine Maxwell — a 2002 note beginning "Dear G!" and ending "Love, Melania" praising a magazine article about "JE" — which Melania characterized as a polite, casual, trivial correspondence.
- Melania called for survivors’ testimony to be permanently entered into the congressional record and urged public survivor hearings as the path to "the truth."
- Democrats, led by Rep. Robert Garcia, quickly seized on her call and urged Republican Oversight Chair James Comer to schedule immediate, survivor‑focused public hearings.
- Reporters linked the statement and reactions to the DOJ’s recent release of millions of pages of Epstein‑related documents under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, and noted that older photos of the Trumps with Epstein and Maxwell have long been public.
- White House spokespeople did not immediately respond to media requests and some West Wing staff said they were caught off guard, suggesting the statement was driven by the first lady rather than a coordinated White House rollout.
📊 Relevant Data
Jeffrey Epstein victimized at least 1,000 women and children, according to survivors and the Department of Justice estimates.
Epstein victimized 1000 women, children. Survivors have a voice, not politics. — USA Today
Many of Jeffrey Epstein's publicly named survivors were minors at the time of abuse, with reported ages starting as young as 14.
Victims have told us the worst of Epstein's crimes for decades – and they are still being ignored — The Conversation
Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein had a social and professional relationship lasting at least 15 years, with Trump describing Epstein as a 'terrific guy' in 2002, before banning him from Mar-a-Lago around 2007 following an incident.
A Timeline of What We Know About Trump and Epstein — The New York Times
In the United States, Black individuals comprise approximately 40% of sex trafficking victims and survivors, while making up about 13% of the general population.
Exposing Racial Disparities in Human Trafficking — Operation Underground Railroad
📰 Source Timeline (5)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- 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.
- 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.'
- 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.
- 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.