[0:00]First Lady Melania Trump is speaking right now at the White House. Let's listen in. Good afternoon. The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today. The individuals lying about me are devoid of ethical standards, humility and respect. I do not object to their ignorance, but rather, I reject their mean spirited attempts to defame my reputation. I've never been friends with Epstein. Donald and I were invited to the same parties as Epstein from time to time. Since overlapping in social circles is common in New York City and Palm Beach. To be clear, I never had a relationship with Epstein, or his accomplice Maxwell. My email reply to Maxwell cannot be characterized as anything more than casual correspondence. My polite reply to her email doesn't amount to anything more than a tribal note. I am not Epstein's victim. 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 a 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 calculating on social media for years now. Be cautious about what you believe. These images and stories are completely false. I'm not a witness or a name witness in connection with any of Epstein's crimes. My name has never appeared in core documents, depositions, victim statements, or FBI interviews surrounding the Epstein matter. I have never had any knowledge of Epstein abuse of his victims. I was never involved in any capacity. I was not a participant, was never on Epstein's plane and never visited his private island.
[3:24]I have never been legally accused or convinced of a crime in connection with Epstein's sex trafficking, abuse of minors and other repulsive behavior. The false smears about me from mean spirited and politically motivated individuals and entities looking to cause damage to my good name, to gain financially and climb politically must stop. My attorneys and I have fought this unfound and baseless lies with success and will continue to maintain my sound reputation without hesitation. To date, several individuals and companies have been legally obligated to publicly apologize and retract their lies about me. Such as Daily Beast, James Carville and Harper Collins, UK. Now is the time for Congress to act. Epstein was not alone. Several prominent male executives resigned from their powerful positions after this matter became widely politicized. Of course, this doesn't amount to guilt, but we still must work openly and transparently to uncover the truth. 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.
[5:37]Then and only then, we will have the truth. Thank you.
[5:47]We've been listening to First Lady Melania Trump speaking from the White House, saying point blank that the Epstein lies about her need to stop. and laying out a a list of things she says she has never been associated with when it relates to Jeffrey Epstein or Glenn Maxwell. Let's bring in our White House correspondent Karen Travers, who's been listening. Karen, a lot of questions about what exactly prompted this from the First Lady and what she's referring to here. Yeah, and of course, we're asking those questions, Elizabeth. This was not something that the First Lady's office had tee'd up or previewed in any way before she was giving those remarks just saying that she was coming out today at the White House to make an announcement. And she went through with some detail there, but not explaining what if anything she was specifically responding to, saying she is not one of Epstein's victims. That she was not introduced to her husband through Jeffrey Epstein, that she met him at a party and that's well documented. She said she didn't have any knowledge of his victims. She wasn't involved in any of his crimes or situations and never visited the island. She referred to what she called baseless lies, didn't expand upon that, but also said, uh she calls on Congress to have women who are survivors, victims of Jeffrey Epstein, come forward and have an opportunity to testify. She says they should have a chance to tell their stories in public and have that entered into the congressional record. She didn't take questions, Elizabeth, before she walked out of the room there. But these remarks certainly prompting a lot more questions for the First Lady, for the White House, why today, why is she speaking about this now? And what specifically she might be responding to that she felt compelled to come out and give these remarks. She is not somebody, Elizabeth, who does two, three, four events a week. So when she does speak and hold events here, they usually have significance because, uh, we don't often hear from her. And so this was, uh, something there are a lot of follow-up questions for today. No question about that. Very forceful statements. The First Lady saying I am not Epstein's victim. Epstein, as you said, did not introduce me to my president. These were very clear, uh statements that she wanted to lay out. I know you will continue to push and we will keep pushing the White House on on what this might be in response to. Karen Travers there at the White House for us. Thanks so much, Karen.
