Melania Trump Denies Epstein Ties, Calls for Congressional Hearings

First Lady Melania Trump delivered a surprise statement from the White House.

“Melania Trump adviser speaks on what led to her surprise Epstein statement "She just wanted to set the record straight," Marc Beckman told "Fox & Friends”

ABC News

She declared that the lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today.

ABC News

The address came with little advance notice and reportedly caught even President Trump off guard.

Melania Trump denied ever having a relationship with Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell.

She called for public congressional hearings for Epstein survivors to testify.

Reaction from survivors was mixed, with some accusing the first lady of shifting the burden onto survivors.

The White House was reportedly caught off guard by the timing and content of the statement.

President Trump said he knew she wanted to speak but did not know what she would say.

Al Jazeera

A senior adviser said she wanted to set the record straight.

The statement came after months of the administration trying to move past the Epstein files.

The first lady's remarks undercut the president's insistence that Americans should move on.

Epstein survivors responded with mixed feelings.

Some praised the move as a bold step.

Others criticized it as a deflection of responsibility.

Marina Lacerda questioned how the statement benefited the Trump family.

Alicia Arden said she was willing to testify before Congress.

The House Oversight Committee chairman committed to hold more hearings.

Melania Trump sought to distance herself from the Epstein scandal.

She acknowledged a 2002 email exchange with Maxwell but called it casual correspondence.

Al-Bayadir as-Siyasi

The DOJ had released 3.5 million documents out of six million.

Her statement contradicted the president's efforts to move on.

She enjoys remarkable independence within the administration.