First lady Melania Trump viewers were surprised on April 9, 2026, when he held an impromptu press conference at the White House to deny any connection to the convicted sex trafficker. Jeffrey Epstein – and denying rumors that Epstein introduced her to her husband, President Donald Trump.
What Melania Trump Said During Her Extraordinary Public Address
“[The rumors] the Jeffrey Epstein scandal must end today,” said Melania Trump in a press release on April 9, 2026. “The people who lie about me have no morals, humility and respect. I am not against their ignorance but instead I reject their malicious attempts to tarnish my name.”
The first lady said she was “never friends” with Epstein, who died by suicide in prison in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. (He was previously convicted of soliciting a child for prostitution.)
She acknowledged that she and her husband President Donald Trump were “invited to many events like Epstein from time to time” but insisted that she “never had a relationship with Epstein or his partner. [Ghislaine] Maxwell.”
Jeffrey Epstein
Neil Rasmus/Patrick McMullan via Getty ImagesMelania said she first “crossed paths” with Epstein in 2000 at an event she attended with her husband and that she had “no knowledge of his criminal activities” at the time. He also admitted to responding to an email from Maxwell but dismissed it as irrelevant.
“My polite response to his email is nothing more than a small note,” she said. “I am not a victim of Epstein. Epstein was not silent on Donald Trump. I met my husband by chance at an event in New York City in 1998. This first meeting with my husband is written in detail in my book, Melania.”
He added that “numerous pictures and false statements” about him and Epstein were circulating on social media and warned people to “be careful what you believe.”
“I am not a witness or a named witness in any of the Epstein cases. My name has never appeared in any court papers, depositions, victim statements or FBI interviews regarding the Epstein case,” he said.
President Trump Apparently Had No Idea Melania Was Going To Speak
Melania Trump's speech seemed to catch the White House off guard. Following his words, MS NOW reported that the company “had a brief phone call” with President Donald Trump, who allegedly told them he had no information about his wife's plans to speak on the subject. The letter alleges that “many” White House staffers are also “confused” by Melania's indirect statement.
However, the president supported what his wife said, he said MS NOW“He didn't know [him].”
Jeffrey Epstein's Victims Push Back
Melania Trump's speech drew an immediate response from Jeffrey Epstein's victims, who held a one-and-a-half-hour affair in which the first lady encouraged victims to testify under oath to Congress in a public hearing.
“Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein have already shown incredible courage by coming forward, filing reports and testifying. Asking more of them now is a deflection of responsibility, not justice,” a statement signed by 15 Epstein survivors read on April 9, 2026. “It also diverts attention from [former Attorney General] Pam Bondiwho should answer for the withheld files and the disclosure of the identity of the survivors.” Their statement concluded, “[Bondi’s] failures continue to put lives at risk while protecting equipment. The survivors did their part. Now it's time for those in power to do their part.”
Survivors also voiced criticism that the Justice Department's release of the Epstein files was handled carelessly, with identifying information left unaltered in some cases and other important documents said to have never been published at all.
President Donald Trump confirmed on April 2 that Bondi was leaving his post as attorney general to take on “a much-needed and important new job in the private sector,” although multiple media outlets reported that he was fired due to the president's displeasure with his recent work.
Jimmy Kimmel moderates
Late night host Jimmy Kimmel re-rated during the April 9, 2026 episode Jimmy Kimmel Live!questioned the timing of Melania Trump's comments.
“Why is this happening today?” Kimmel asked, referring to President Donald Trump's threats against Iran. “He spent the last six weeks trying to bomb the Epstein story into the headlines. Two days after the shooting was called off, he brought it back up.”
Kimmel wondered if Melania did this on purpose, joking, “She must really hate him. I don't know how else to explain it.”
President Donald Trump is targeting political podcasters such as Megyn Kelly, Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens after they criticized him during the conflict in Iran. “I know why Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens, and Alex Jones have all been fighting me for years, mostly because they think it's cool. […]
He also brought up reports that White House officials were blindfolded. “He didn't know he was going to do it before he did it, which shows how well things are going there,” Kimmel added. “For whatever reason, he didn't ask [her husband].”
He concluded by saying: “He didn't let her down, he just went out in front of the cameras and shot.”
Donald Trump Clarifies He Did Not 'Approve' Melania's Statement
In the interview of April 10 no New York TimesDonald Trump explained that he did not suggest that his wife hold a press conference about Jeffrey Epstein, but he knew it was happening.
“I said, 'If you want to do that, you can do that.' I said if he wants to do it — I didn't recommend it, but … I let it be him, I said, if he wants to do it,” said Donald, 79, in an interview with his family. Times.
He added that he thought Melania “did a good job” while also confirming that his wife did not know Epstein.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
This story was compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists.
