First Lady Melania Trump don come out strong today to deny any link with the late Jeffrey Epstein. She talk say all the stories wey dey circulate about her and Epstein na “completely false” and she dey call am defamatory attack on her reputation. The woman stand for White House make public statement, something wey observers say na unusual move for her.
“The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today,” Melania Trump yarn. She add say the people wey dey lie about her no get ethical standards, humility, or respect at all. She emphasize say she never get any relationship with Epstein or him associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
But she acknowledge say she and her husband, Donald Trump, don dey invite to the same parties as Epstein from time to time. She explain say overlapping for social circles na common thing for New York City. She describe her interaction with Maxwell as minimal, say one polite reply to email no mean anything serious.
Melania Trump talk say she and her attorneys don dey fight these unfounded lies with success. She also reject any suggestion say she be among Epstein victims. “I am not Epstein’s victim,” she declare.
But the First Lady use the moment to advocate for survivors of Epstein abuse. She urge lawmakers to hold public hearings. “Each and every woman should have her day to tell her story in public if she wishes,” she talk. “Then, and only then, we will have the truth.” Her proposal na to center survivors testimony for formal congressional setting.
This statement come as Donald Trump administration don begin move past renewed scrutiny related to Epstein. The controversy don recently overshadow by international developments, including conflict involving Iran.
Jeffrey Epstein connections to prominent figures across politics, finance, and business don dey widely documented. He plead guilty for 2008 to prostitution-related charges involving minor and later arrest again for 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges. He die for custody for 2019 for Manhattan jail; him death officially rule as suicide.
Previously released records don include references to individuals within Epstein network, including social interactions and communications. Donald Trump maintain say him association with Epstein end for mid-2000s and say he no know about Epstein crimes. Reports and records present mixed accounts of their interactions, including references to shared events and travel for earlier years. Trump don dispute some of those claims.
Melania Trump rating don hit record low at minus twelve points, according to new polling data wey CNN highlight. CNN senior data analyst Harry Enten reveal say Melania Trump na currently the “most unpopular first lady at this point in either term 2 or a presidency.” Him rating drop from plus three for January this year and plus thirty from 2018.
CNN compare Trump rating to earlier First Ladies at same point and find say Melania own shockingly low. Former FLOTUS Michelle Obama rating dey forty-two points, Laura Bush dey forty-six, Hillary Clinton dey twenty-five, and Nancy Reagan dey fifty points. Enten add, “This is the worst at this point in a presidency as well. Melania Trump breaking records in the way that you don’t want to break records. Historically awful… The American people really don’t care for her.”
Analysts believe say much of the drop for Trump rating fit attribute to her recent documentary titled ‘Melania’. The documentary produce by Amazon at reported budget of seventy-five million dollars and make roughly seventeen million dollars through domestic and international shows. The film center around days before President Donald Trump swear in for him second term, and many see am as largely political.
Melania often dey subject of scrutiny during her public appearances. For 2018, during Donald Trump first term, Melania make headlines after she wear jacket wey read, “I Really Don’t Care. Do U?” while visiting child detention centers for McAllen, Texas.
Some White House officials shock by the timing of her remarks today, wey spark rumors say the first lady dey try get ahead of something. But sources close to her talk say they less surprised at the decision, noting Melania Trump don dey increasingly frustrated by online chatter about her relationship with Epstein.
One White House official talk say disagreement dey among those close to Melania Trump as to whether to go through with the remarks, given say the story don die down. But stories linking the first lady to Epstein still dey circulate online, and Melania Trump want to go on record with firm denial, the official talk. Her lawyers also believe say e go helpful to have on record denial.
“Melania is not political. She doesn’t care about the politics angle of this. She was seeing these stories being amplified and wanted to respond,” the official yarn.
Her office refer CNN to comment by her outside senior adviser to the New York Post. “First lady Melania Trump spoke out now because enough is enough. The lies must stop. It is time for the public and media to focus on her incredible achievements as First Lady,” Marc Beckman talk.
But Tuesday call to action, one of Melania Trump most significant public statements for her second term as first lady, only drive more conversation about Epstein. E generate calls from lawmakers and victims advocates for more accountability, including by the Justice Department.
Melania Trump herself publicly ask for Congressional action. “Congress to provide the women who have been victimized by Epstein with a public hearing specifically centered around the survivors, give these victims their opportunity to testify under oath in front of Congress with the power of sworn testimony,” Trump talk.
She also seek to downplay her relationship with Maxwell, Epstein associate wey convict of sex trafficking. CNN don inquire with her office for February about friendly 2002 email exchange between the two women—wey release as part of tranche of documents pertaining to Epstein investigation—but no receive response.
Trump sign that email, “Love, Melania” and Maxwell respond, call her “sweet pea.” For Thursday, Melania Trump characterize the email as “casual” and “polite reply.”
Several Epstein survivors surprise to see, if not totally unaware of, Melania Trump remarks Thursday. Sources for Capitol Hill echo that confusion, talk say they no sure wetin prompt the first lady unusual statement—though e quickly garner bipartisan support.
The House Oversight Committee top Democrat, Rep. Robert Garcia, talk for statement shortly after: “We agree with First Lady Melania Trump’s call for a public hearing with the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein. We encourage Chairman Comer to respond to the First Lady’s request and schedule a public hearing immediately.”
Other Republicans quick to publicly support the first lady call for hearing. GOP Rep. Tim Burchett, wey serve on the House Oversight Committee, tell CNN say he look “forward to working with the first lady on this very important issue.”
One advocate for the victims talk say while Melania Trump acknowledgement of the harm Epstein wrought na positive step, they need legal mechanisms to pursue the truth wey no go harm survivors.
And group survivors and family members of the late Virginia Giuffre, prominent Epstein survivor wey later die by suicide, talk for statement say ask them to do more “is a deflection of responsibility, not justice.”
“First Lady Melania Trump is now shifting the burden onto survivors under politicized conditions that protect those with power: the Department of Justice, law enforcement, prosecutors, and the Trump Administration, which has still not fully complied with the Epstein Files Transparency Act,” the group yarn.
Lawmakers wey don lead the push to release the Epstein files, meanwhile, praise the first lady but call for action from the Justice Department. GOP Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky argue say e be up to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to bring charges, not Congress.
Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Georgia Republican wey highly critical of the Trump administration over the Epstein files, similarly talk say e be up to the DOJ to get justice for the victims, though she praise Melania Trump for bring up the issue “at a time when it had totally fallen out of the news cycle.”
The first lady never speak publicly on the issue prior to Thursday remarks, ignore shouted question about Maxwell during unrelated event for February. She don, however, file lawsuits over past efforts to tie her to Epstein, counter wetin she characterize Thursday as “smears” wey “mean-spirited and politically-motivated.”
Trump don successfully receive retractions and apologies from HarperCollins Publishers, Democratic strategist James Carville and The Daily Beast. She also emphasize Thursday say she no aware of Epstein crimes despite their social connection.
“Epstein’s abuse of his victims. Epstein’s plane, and never visited his private island,” she talk, describe him actions as “repulsive.”
The first lady don keep relatively low profile for her second term, largely split her time between Palm Beach and New York, promote her eponymous documentary, focus her efforts on responsible AI use for children, reunifying children allegedly abducted by Russia with their families for Ukraine, and legislation protecting Americans from deepfake and revenge pornography.
Her office advise “statement” from the first lady for Wednesday, but decline to provide any details, with senior adviser tell the New York Post say the news go “spread internationally.”
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