Updated on: April 10, 2026 / 8:17 PM EDT / CBS News
Washington — First lady Melania Trump on Thursday denied any friendship or relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell and called on Congress to hold a public hearing centered on Epstein’s survivors.
In a six‑minute livestreamed statement from the White House — the first time she has publicly addressed the matter following the Justice Department’s release of troves of Epstein records — the first lady told reporters, “I call on Congress to provide the women who have been victimized by Epstein with a public hearing specifically centered around the survivors. Give these victims their opportunity to testify under oath in front of Congress with the power of sworn testimony. 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 the congressional record. Then and only then, we will have the truth. Thank you.”
Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, called her remarks “pretty stunning” and said her call for a hearing with survivor testimony is something lawmakers have been requesting for months. “We certainly welcome and agree with her call to hear directly from the survivors,” he said, adding that the first lady’s statement underscored that “there are still powerful men out there. There are still stories to be told.”
President Trump told MS NOW he didn’t “know anything about” the first lady’s statement before she made it. The first lady’s spokesperson said the West Wing was aware she would make a statement but would not confirm whether anyone knew the topic or contents in advance.
It is unclear why she chose to speak on Thursday rather than immediately after the release of specific records. Old photographs of the Trumps with Epstein and Maxwell have been public for years, and DOJ‑released emails show at least one exchange between the first lady and Maxwell.
When asked why she spoke now and whether she was responding to a particular report or allegation, her spokesperson pointed to a statement by senior adviser Marc Beckman to the New York Post: “First Lady Melania Trump spoke out now because enough is enough. The lies must stop. It is time for the public and media to focus on her incredible achievements as First Lady, the lives she has positively impacted, and her commitment to our nation.”
Melania Trump said Epstein did not introduce her to Donald Trump and characterized the limited email exchange with Maxwell in the DOJ records as a “polite,” “casual” reply.
“I am not Epstein’s victim,” she said. “Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump. I met my husband by chance at a New York City party in 1998. This initial encounter with my husband is documented in detail in my book Melania. The first time I crossed paths with Epstein was in the year 2000 at an event Donald and I attended together. At the time, I had never met Epstein and had no knowledge of his criminal undertakings. Numerous fake images and statements about Epstein and me have been circulating on social media for years now. Be cautious about what you believe. These images and stories are completely false.”
“I have never had any knowledge of Epstein’s abuse of his victims,” she added. “I was never involved in any capacity. I was not a participant. Was never on Epstein’s plane. And never visited his private island.”
More than a dozen Epstein survivors issued a statement Thursday after the first lady’s remarks, saying they “have already shown extraordinary courage by coming forward, filing reports, and giving testimony.” The survivors said asking more of them now “is a deflection of responsibility, not justice,” and accused the first lady of “shifting the burden onto survivors under politicized conditions that protect those with power.”
Jane Chick and Sara Cook contributed to this report.