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In a brief statement Thursday, Melania Trump denied having a substantial relationship with Jeffrey Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell, using her rare public statement to reject what she called “false smears” and fabricated images circulating online.
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Speaking briefly at the White House, the first lady said she first encountered Epstein in 2000 at an event she attended with Donald Trump and said she had no knowledge at the time of his criminal conduct. She also said Epstein did not introduce her to her future husband and described a previously disclosed 2002 email to Maxwell as “casual correspondence,” stating that she had “never had any knowledge of Epstein’s abuse of his victims” and had never been on Epstein’s plane or private island.
The first lady called on Congress to hold a public hearing for Epstein’s victims, saying women who wish to testify should be allowed to do so under oath and have their accounts preserved in the Congressional Record.
Her remarks came as the Justice Department faces renewed scrutiny over Epstein-related records. Some lawmakers, including Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) and Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), released statements supporting her call for additional hearings.
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