First Lady Melania Trump has unexpectedly issued a strong denial regarding any ties to Jeffrey Epstein and his sex crimes, labeling all accusations as "completely false" and "smears," reigniting the long-running controversy.
First Lady Melania Trump publicly denied any connection to Jeffrey Epstein or knowledge of his sex crimes, stating on Thursday that "stories are completely false" and dismissing accusations as "smears about me." This seemingly out-of-the-blue message came as her husband's administration had finally appeared to move past more than a year of controversy surrounding Epstein, especially with the Iran war becoming all-consuming in Washington. Her comments are almost assuredly expected to push the story back into the political spotlight, despite President Donald Trump's urging for the public and media to move on from the case. Nick Clemens, a spokesperson for the first lady, confirmed that the West Wing was aware beforehand that she was making a statement, but deferred to them on whether the content of what she planned to say was known. The White House press office did not respond to requests for comment.
