--- title: Melania Trump Says Lies Linking Her to Jeffrey Epstein ‘Need to End’ description: The first lady denied ties to Jeffrey Epstein and said she had no knowledge of abuse, in a surprise statement at the White House. canonical: https://time.com/article/2026/04/09/melania-trump-says-lies-linking-her-to-jeffrey-epstein-need-to-end-/ author: Philip Wang article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2026-04-09T19:03:10.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-09T21:16:01.821Z article:section: Politics og:title: Melania Trump Says Lies Linking Her to Jeffrey Epstein ‘Need to End’ og:description: In a surprise statement at the White House, the first lady denied ties to Jeffrey Epstein and said she had no knowledge of his abuse. og:url: https://time.com/article/2026/04/09/melania-trump-says-lies-linking-her-to-jeffrey-epstein-need-to-end-/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd7f37b978b31f182/69d7f80b47096d7c84acaf5d/GettyImages-2270609405.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 6000 og:image:height: 3375 og:image:alt: GettyImages-2270609405.jpg og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Melania Trump Says Lies Linking Her to Jeffrey Epstein ‘Need to End’ twitter:description: In a surprise statement at the White House, the first lady denied ties to Jeffrey Epstein and said she had no knowledge of his abuse. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd7f37b978b31f182/69d7f80b47096d7c84acaf5d/GettyImages-2270609405.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Melania Trump Says Lies Linking Her to Jeffrey Epstein ‘Need to End’ > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=adff90a7-53f0-4ce2-b6ba-984b36e2adc2&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Melania Trump Says Lies Linking Her to Jeffrey Epstein "Need to End" [Watch (HLS stream): Melania Trump Says Lies Linking Her to Jeffrey Epstein "Need to End"](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/ZZC1Zm4P.m3u8) (5:49)  _Published 2026-04-09. First Lady Melania Trump on Thursday denied ties to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein and his business associate Ghislaine Maxwell, saying the “lies” that link her to the two convicted sex offenders “must end.” “I've never been friends with Epstein,” Melania Trump said in a speech on Thursday, while acknowledging that she and Donald Trump were invited to the same parties as Epstein “from time to time.”_  by [Philip Wang](https://time.com/author/philip-wang/)  ## Philip Wang Apr 9, 2026 7:03 PM UTC First Lady Melania Trump on Thursday denied ties to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein and his business associate Ghislaine Maxwell, saying the “lies” that link her to the two convicted sex offenders “must end.” “I've never been friends with Epstein,” Melania Trump said in a speech on Thursday, while acknowledging that she and Donald Trump were invited to the same parties as Epstein “from time to time.”  by [Philip Wang](https://time.com/author/philip-wang/)  ## Philip Wang Apr 9, 2026 7:03 PM UTC [First Lady Melania Trump](https://time.com/7366462/melania-documentary-movie-trump-review/) on Thursday denied ties to disgraced financier [Jeffrey Epstein](https://time.com/article/2026/03/16/what-america-gets-wrong-about-jeffrey-epstein/) and his business associate [Ghislaine Maxwell](https://time.com/7375277/ghislaine-maxwell-epstein-trump-clinton-innocent-congress-testimony-clemency-pardon/), saying the “lies” that link her to the two convicted sex offenders “must end.” “I've never been friends with Epstein,” [Melania Trump](https://time.com/tag/melania-trump/) said in a speech on Thursday, while acknowledging that she and Donald Trump were invited to the same parties as Epstein “from time to time.” “Overlapping in social circles is common in New York City and Palm Beach,” she insisted. During her surprise address, [the first lady](https://time.com/melania-trump-inauguration-model-first-lady/) denied that Epstein introduced her to President Donald Trump or that she herself was a victim of Epstein’s crimes. She also said she had no knowledge of Epstein’s abuse of his victims. ## Melania addresses email exchange with Ghislaine Maxwell Melania also commented on emails between her and Ghislaine Maxwell, saying the exchange “cannot be categorized as anything more than casual correspondence.” “To be clear, I never had a relationship with Epstein or his accomplice, Maxwell,” Melania said. “My polite reply to her email doesn’t amount to anything more than a trivial note.” According to the Epstein files released by the Department of Justice, an [email](https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02332411.pdf) was sent in October 2002 from “Melania” to “G” regarding a New York Magazine [profile](https://nymag.com/nymetro/news/people/n%5F7912/) of Epstein. “I know you are very busy flying all over the world. How was Palm Beach? I cannot wait to go down. Give me a call when you are back in NY,” the email reads. The first lady also denied that she was ever on Epstein’s plane. Files released by the Department of Justice show her husband's name appeared on Epstein’s [flight logs](https://www.justice.gov/ag/media/1391276/dl?inline) eight times between 1993 and 1996\. A person’s inclusion in the Epstein files does not, by itself, constitute evidence of wrongdoing. Melania called on Congress to hold a public hearing for victims of Epstein to share their experiences. She said “we still must work openly and transparently to uncover the truth” while stopping short of calling for a full release of, or unredacting, the Epstein files. “Each and every woman should have her day to tell her story in public if she wishes, and then her testimony should be permanently entered into congressional record. Then, and only then, we will have the truth,” she said. ## Trump’s past association with Epstein Trump and Epstein’s [friendship](https://time.com/7333365/trump-epstein-relationship-timeline/) spanned more than a decade, starting in the late 1980s and ending around 2004\. **Read more:** [_Inside Trump and Epstein’s Long, Complicated Relationship_](https://time.com/7333365/trump-epstein-relationship-timeline/) In 2003, a lewd birthday [note](https://time.com/7315609/epsteins-birthday-book-trump-clinton/) depicting the outline of a naked woman with Trump’s name and signature was sent to Epstein for his 50th birthday. The note reads, “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.” The White House has denied that Trump signed this note. Epstein’s business associate Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for child sex trafficking, was transferred to a minimum-security prison camp in Texas in August 2025, shortly after meeting with then-Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. Maxwell is still [seeking](https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/13/ghislaine-maxwell-epstein-case-00829078) a presidential pardon, a request that Trump [said](https://time.com/7305903/donald-trump-ghislane-maxwell-pardon/) he “has not thought about.” ## Transcript [00:05] Good afternoon. The lies linking me [00:10] with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today. [00:16] The individuals lying about [00:19] me are devoid of ethical standards. [00:23] Humility and respect. [00:27] I do not object to their ignorance, [00:30] but rather I reject [00:33] their mean spirited attempts to defame my reputation. [00:38] I never been friends with Epstein. [00:42] Donald and I were invited to [00:46] the same parties as Epstein from time to time. [00:50] Since overlapping in social circles is [00:54] common in New York City and Palm Beach. [00:59] To be clear, I never had a relationship with [01:04] Epstein or his accomplice, Maxwell. [01:09] My email reply to Maxwell can not be [01:14] categorized as anything more than casual correspondence. [01:20] My polite reply to her email doesn't [01:24] amount to anything more than a tribal note. [01:29] I am not Epstein's victim. [01:33] Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump. [01:38] I met my husband by chance at [01:41] the New York City party in 1998. [01:45] This initial encounter with [01:48] my husband is documented in detail in my book. [01:52] Melania. The first time I crossed [01:56] paths with Epstein was in the year 2000 at an event. [02:01] Donald and I attended together at the time. [02:06] I had never met Epstein and had [02:09] no knowledge of his criminal undertakings. [02:15] Numerous fake images And statements about Epstein and [02:22] me have been calculating on social media for years now. [02:29] Be cautious about what you believe. [02:33] These images and stories are completely false. [02:39] I'm not a witness or a name witness [02:43] in connection with any of Epstein's crimes. [02:47] My name has never appeared in court documents. [02:51] The position's victim statements [02:55] or FBI interviews surrounding the Epstein matter. [03:00] I have never had any knowledge of [03:04] Epstein's abuse of his victims. [03:08] I was never involved in any capacity. [03:12] I was not a participant, [03:14] was never on Epstein's plane and [03:18] never visited his private island. [03:23] I have never been legally accused or convicted of [03:28] a crime in connection with Epstein's sex trafficking, [03:33] abuse of minors and other repulsive behavior. [03:38] The false smears about me from mean [03:42] spirited and politically motivated individuals and [03:46] entities looking to cause damage to my good name to [03:50] gain financially and climb politically must stop. [03:56] My attorneys and I have fought [03:59] these unfounded and baseless lies with success, [04:03] and will continue to maintain [04:05] my sound reputation without hesitation. [04:08] To date, several individuals [04:12] and companies have been legally [04:14] obligated to publicly apologize [04:18] and retract their lies about me, [04:21] such as Daily Beast, [04:23] James Carville and Harper Collins, UK. [04:29] Now is the time for Congress to act. [04:33] Epstein was not alone. [04:36] Several prominent male executives resign from [04:40] their powerful positions after [04:42] this matter became widely politicized. [04:47] Of course, this doesn't amount to guilt, [04:51] but we still must work openly and [04:53] transparently to uncover the truth. [04:57] I call on Congress to provide [05:00] the women who have been victimized by Epstein, [05:03] with the public hearing [05:05] specifically centered around the survivors. [05:09] Give these victims their opportunity to [05:13] testify under oath in front of Congress. [05:17] With the power of sworn testimony, [05:21] each and every woman should have her day to [05:25] tell her story in public if she wishes, [05:28] and then her testimony should be permanently [05:32] entered into the Congressional Record. [05:36] Then and only then, [05:40] we will have the truth. Thank you. [05:44] Mr. Secretary. 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