President Donald Trump reportedly had no advance knowledge of Melania Trump’s decision to publicly address her connection to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. This development has led to conflicting accounts from those close to the White House.
Donald Trump reportedly wasn’t aware about Melania’s remarks
The president told MS NOW journalist Jacqueline Alemany that he was unaware Melania Trump planned to speak about her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein until the moment she began her address. Donald Trump stated he did not “know anything about” his wife’s statement, adding that Melania “didn’t know” Epstein before abruptly ending the call.
This account, however, faces contradiction from other sources. A person in the know of this situation informed CNN that Donald Trump “was aware” that Melania intended to make a statement. Adding context to the timeline, Melania’s office did send an email on April 8, announcing plans for a White House address on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. ET, though the email omitted the speech’s subject matter.
Then, during her address, Melania Trump rejected any substantive ties to Jeffrey Epstein. “The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today,” she declared. “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” (via PEOPLE).
The first lady attributed the rumors to “mean-spirited and politically motivated individuals” seeking financial or political gain. She dismissed “fake images and statements” circulating on social media as “completely false” and refuted claims that Epstein introduced her to Donald Trump. Melania referenced her memoir, Melania, to confirm their meeting happened at a 1998 party.
While acknowledging that both she and Donald Trump occasionally attended the same social functions as Jeffrey Epstein in New York City and Palm Beach, she insisted she first met Epstein at a 2000 event she attended with Trump. Epstein died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
Originally reported by Devanshi Basu on Mandatory.
