First Lady Issues Epstein Statement From Official White House Briefings Page

The Dispatch On April 9, 2026, the White House Office of the First Lady issued a formal statement regarding Jeffrey Epstein on the official White House briefings and statements page — the same page used to publish executive orders, presidential proclamations, and statements of administration policy. The statement, attributed to First Lady Melania Trump, denied any meaningful relationship with Epstein or his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, acknowledged an email exchange with Maxwell which it characterized as casual correspondence, and confirmed that the First Lady’s name does not appear in court documents, depositions, victim statements, or FBI interview records related to the Epstein matter. The statement further noted that several individuals and companies have been legally obligated to retract prior claims, citing The Daily Beast, James Carville, and Harper Collins UK. The statement called on Congress to convene a public hearing specifically centered on Epstein survivors, with testimony given under oath and entered permanently into the Congressional Record. The First Lady described this as the only mechanism by which the full truth would emerge. The statement noted that Epstein was not present when she met Donald Trump in 1998, and that her first encounter with Epstein occurred in the year 2000, at an event she attended with her husband. It described the circulating images and statements linking her to Epstein as completely false. Nine months prior, on July 9, 2025, President Donald Trump posted to Truth Social characterizing interest in the Epstein matter as a Democrat Hoax, describing Epstein-related pressure from within his own base as a SCAM, and stating he no longer wished for the support of individuals pushing for full file disclosure. A separate post from the same period described Epstein as “a guy who never dies” and questioned why Republicans were giving publicity to files written by, in the President’s characterization, Obama, Crooked Hillary, Comey, and Brennan. The President also stated at that time that he did not want the support of people focused on the Epstein matter. In 2002, in an interview with New York magazine, the President described Epstein as a terrific guy and noted that he was known to like beautiful women, many of them on the younger side. In July 2019, following Epstein’s federal arrest, the President told reporters he had had a falling out with Epstein a long time ago and had not spoken to him in fifteen years. In September 2025, in an interview with Lex Fridman, the President described Epstein as a good salesman. The First Lady’s statement remains published on the official White House briefings page. Source Block Original source: White House Briefings & Statements Archived copy: archive.org Screenshot on file: screenshots/melania-epstein-whitehouse-statement.png Retrieved: 2026-04-10 Additional sources: Trump 2002 New York magazine quote: https://nymag.com/nymetro/news/people/n_7912/ Trump July 2019 Oval Office remarks: https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-amir-al-thani-state-qatar-bilateral-meeting/ Trump Truth Social July 2025 (Hoax post): https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115538279653817159 Trump Truth Social July 2025 (never dies post): https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114842356238631061 Trump Lex Fridman September 2025: on record via Fridman podcast