First Lady Melania Trump is pushing back on claims she was linked to the disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Esptein in a surprise address at the White House.
‘I’ve never been friends with Epstein,’ she said during an address on Thursday afternoon. ‘Donald and I were invited to the same parties.’
‘I call on Congress to provide the women who have been victimized by Epstein with a public hearing specifically centered around the survivors,’ she added.
The announcement came as a shock, as there had not been recent revelations linking her to the sex offender, who the government says committed suicide while awaiting trial on sex trafficking in August 2019.
She claiemd that though she and the President had overlapping social circles with Epstein, they did not have a relationship. She also said that she never associated with Epstein’s criminal associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.
‘I am not Esptein’s victim,’ she stated. ‘I am not Epstein’s victim. Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump. I met my husband by chance at a New York City party in 1998.’
She told the room that she first met Epstein in 2000 and that she was unaware of his criminal undertakings.
The First Lady said she had seen ‘fake images and statements’ linking her to Epstein on social media for years, and urged viewers to ‘be cautious about what you believe.’
‘I’ve never been friends with Epstein,’ Melania Trump said during an address at the White House on Thursday afternoon
‘These images and stories are completely false. I’m not a witness or unnamed witness in connection with any of Epstein’s crimes.’
‘The false smears about me from mean-spirited and politically motivated individuals and entities looking to cause damage to my good name to gain financially and climbed politically must stop,’ the First Lady continued. ‘Baseless lies with success and continue to maintain my sound reputation without hesitation.’
This is a breaking news story and will continue to be updated.