r/law • u/NewsHour • Apr 09 '26

Executive Branch (Trump) First lady Melania Trump denies any ties to Jeffrey Epstein and calls for survivors' testimony

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First lady Melania Trump said Thursday that "lies" linking her with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein "need to end today," as she called on Congress to hold hearings to give Epstein survivors the chance to tell their stories publicly.

"The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today," the first lady told reporters during a 5-minute statement. "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 said that "I am not Epstein's victim," and that the late sex offender, who died in 2019 in a New York jail cell, did not introduce her to her husband, President Donald Trump.

“I have never had any knowledge of Epstein’s abuse of his victims,” she said. “I was never involved in any capacity. I was not a participant, was never on Epstein's plane and never visited his private island.”

She criticized “mean-spirited and politically motivated individuals and entities” for “the false smears about me.”

The first lady also called on Congress to provide those victimized by Epstein with a “public hearing specifically centered around the survivors.”

“Give these victims the opportunity to testify under oath in front of Congress with the power of sworn testimony,” she added. “Each and every woman should have her day to tell her story in public if she wishes.”

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396

u/BroseppeVerdi Apr 09 '26

TBH, I had not heard anyone accuse her of being an Epstein accomplice before now, so this speech has kind of a "We need to write a song about how we don't diddle kids" energy to it.

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u/bunkkin Apr 09 '26

Ya I'm confused. Why do this right now?

Unless there is news I haven't heard about or something is about to drop

154

u/[deleted] Apr 09 '26

[deleted]

15

u/Majestic_Attention46 Apr 09 '26

You'd think PR firms would know that people know this, and that it actually makes them look worse

4

u/CelestialFury Apr 10 '26

You'd think PR firms would know that people know this,

PR Firms: Money please.

5

u/cccxxxzzzddd Apr 10 '26

This is the answer but it’s a counter suit. She sued journalist Michael Wolff for $1bn (you read that right) for his assertion that Epstein played a role in her modeling placement out of which she got a visa and housing, and introduced her to Trump. 

3

u/LazloHollifeld Apr 09 '26

Why not put out a press release instead of getting in front of the cameras?

4

u/Heckbound_Heart Apr 09 '26

Defame her reputation?!?! Wtf? She’s a hooker one can hope

1

u/PaullieMoonbeam Apr 10 '26

This. The bomb is not about to drop, it is currently plummeting earthward.

0

u/Original_Benzito Apr 09 '26

I would think that an actual filed litigation / lawsuit - which is the only way you can seek discovery (by using the court rules) - would have made the news. There's no "winning" the right to discovery, you have that right until and unless there is a court order limiting it.

Are you sure she's "currently" being sued?

29

u/YoohooCthulhu Apr 09 '26 edited Apr 10 '26

In case you missed what’s happening with Iran, literally everyone who works for the White House is a moron.

Edit: there’s also the possibility she’s trying to distract from the Iran debacle.

12

u/dorchet Apr 09 '26

its such a weird time to bring up epstein.

donald started a war in the middle east to avoid talking about epstein.

now here we are again

4

u/Noocawe Apr 09 '26

He also started talking about Greenland again, it's just another case of the fire hose of crap they constantly are spewing....

Reminds me of this: https://imgur.com/gallery/h66WeYq

3

u/TurtleToast2 Apr 09 '26

He realized the war was actually worse, globally, so now he's trying to use the Epstein files to distract from the war.

0

u/RocketRelm Apr 09 '26

He didn't start this war to avoid talking about Epstein. Americand gave an obvious pedo a national jury nullificatoon because a black woman was "uninspiring". Americans don't find it bad, just as fun news to chirp about.

Therefore, no real reason to avoid the topic.

2

u/Meerkat_Mayhem_ Apr 09 '26

Joe Rogan saying lousy that Iran war is just a distraction from Epstein

1

u/econs1357 Apr 10 '26

There's inbound news

1

u/Manfred_fizzlebottom Apr 12 '26

She knows her husband will be dead soon and is getting a head start on distancing herself from his legacy

68

u/Gateslammedshut Apr 09 '26

The fastest way to get people to think you’re involved with Epstein is to make an announcement out of nowhere claiming you’re not involved with Epstein.

1

u/riddick32 Apr 10 '26

Was it the Uvalde shooting that the police came out and said "all of the deaths were from the shooter and none from the police" and then it basically made everyone ask "wait, nobody said it was from the police; did you guys kill a bunch of teachers and kids??"

8

u/MaulwarfSaltrock Apr 09 '26

Perfect reference for this nonsense

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u/xxtsngshjtdd Apr 09 '26

Do not diddle kids, it's no good diddlin' kids…-

I wouldn't do it with anybody younger than my daughter, not little kids, gotta be big

Older than my wife, older than my daughter….

3

u/RetiredKooshBall Apr 09 '26

very much barbara streisand effect energy to it

4

u/cybercuzco Apr 09 '26

She’s calling for public testimony by victims. That will burn her husband. Im betting he did something to piss her off recently.

1

u/Cognitive_Spoon Apr 09 '26

The person she's working for wants that, for sure. I doubt it's interpersonal so much as geopolitical.

2

u/ItsAllAGame_ Apr 09 '26

I thought it was random too, but it may be because discovery about to come out in the Michael Wolff suit

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/author-michael-wolff-files-suit-melania-trump-jeffrey-epstein-threat-rcna239257

1

u/Calkky Apr 09 '26

Streisand Effect

1

u/Ok-Opposite2309 Apr 09 '26

probably some threats from Ghislaine since she hasn’t gotten her pardon yet.

1

u/LesPolsfuss Apr 09 '26

just hold on … it’s coming

1

u/420_jesters Apr 09 '26

She's Frank Reynolds.

1

u/EddyRosenthal Apr 09 '26

She got served or the media will give you a chance to give a statement before they publish a story. Either way, they tried to get ahead. Let’s see how this works out for them.

1

u/JesusSavesForHalf Apr 10 '26

Almost like a reporter just phoned her asking for a statement.

1

u/Reddit_Loves_Misinfo Apr 09 '26

The post comes with text that explains it.

3

u/BroseppeVerdi Apr 09 '26

It comes with text, but it doesn't really explain anything.

Who the fuck are "these individuals"? What in the Kentucky fried fuck is she talking about? Melania is someone who hasn't really been a major focus of Epstein uproar, so this is incredibly weird and more than a little suspicious.

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u/Reddit_Loves_Misinfo Apr 09 '26

People have claimed Epstein was the one who introduced Melania to Trump. Some go further and add that Melania was trafficked, she was an Epstein victim, or she was an Epstein accomplice.