WASHINGTON — US first lady Melania Trump has blasted “lies” linking her to Jeffrey Epstein, attempting to distance herself from the convicted sex offender while calling on Congress to hold public hearings allowing his victims to testify on Capitol Hill.In a surprise announcement to reporters at the White House on Thursday, denied online rumors that Epstein introduced her to Donald Trump, calling them “mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation”.It is unclear what prompted the announcement.The intervention has produced a mixed response from Epstein survivors. One survivor, Lisa Phillips, described the statement as a “bold move” but questioned what more the first lady could do to support Epstein’s accusers.That call for action directly undercut ongoing messaging from her husband, renewing attention on a topic that was fading from public discourse amid the war with Iran. President Donald Trump and his top lieutenants have sought to downplay Epstein and his victims, repeatedly and publicly stating that the country is ready to move on.“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,” the first lady said in remarks to reporters. “To be clear, I never had a relationship with Epstein or his accomplice, (Ghislaine) Maxwell.”Some White House officials were stunned by the timing of the remarks, which sparked rumors that the first lady was trying to get out ahead of something. But sources close to her said they were less surprised at the decision, noting Melania Trump has been increasingly frustrated by the online chatter about her relationship with Epstein.One White House official said that there was disagreement among those close to Melania Trump as to whether or not to go through with the remarks, given that the story had died down and addressing the matter now would only bring it back into the forefront.But stories linking the first lady to Epstein were still circulating online, and Melania Trump wanted to go on the record with a firm denial, the official said. Her lawyers also believed that it could be helpful to have an on the record denial, the official said.“Melania is not political. She doesn’t care about the politics angle of this. She was seeing these stories being amplified and wanted to respond,” the official said.“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,” said Marc Beckman, her senior adviser, told the New York Post.Melania Trump also sought to downplay her relationship with Maxwell, Epstein’s associate who was convicted of sex trafficking.CNN had inquired with her office in February about a friendly 2002 email exchange between the two women — which was released as part of a tranche of documents pertaining to the Epstein investigation — but did not receive a response. Trump signed that email, “Love, Melania” and Maxwell responded, calling her “sweet pea.”On Thursday, Melania Trump characterized the email as “casual” and a “polite reply.”The House Oversight Committee’s top Democrat, Rep. Robert Garcia, said in a statement shortly after: “We agree with First Lady Melania Trump’s call for a public hearing with the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein. We encourage Chairman Comer to respond to the First Lady’s request and schedule a public hearing immediately.”Other Republicans were quick to publicly support the first lady’s call for a hearing. GOP Rep. Tim Burchett, who serves on the House Oversight Committee, told CNN he looked “forward to working with the first lady on this very important issue.”One advocate for the victims said that while Melania Trump’s acknowledgement of the harm Epstein wrought was a positive step, they needed legal mechanisms to pursue the truth that wouldn’t harm survivors. And a group survivors and family members of the late Virginia Giuffre, a prominent Epstein survivor who later died by suicide, said in a statement that asking them to do more “is a deflection of responsibility, not justice.”“First Lady Melania Trump is now shifting the burden onto survivors under politicized conditions that protect those with power: the Department of Justice, law enforcement, prosecutors, and the Trump Administration, which has still not fully complied with the Epstein Files Transparency Act,” the group said.Lawmakers who had led the push to release the Epstein files, meanwhile, praised the first lady but called for action from the Justice Department.GOP Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky argued it is up to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to bring charges, not Congress. Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican who was highly critical of the Trump administration over the Epstein files, similarly said it was up to the DOJ to get justice for the victims, though she praised Melania Trump for bringing up the issue “at a time when it had totally fallen out of the news cycle.”The first lady has never spoken publicly on the issue prior to Thursday’s remarks, ignoring a shouted question about Maxwell during an unrelated event in February. She has, however, filed lawsuits over past efforts to tie her to Epstein, countering what she characterized Thursday as “smears” that were “mean-spirited and politically-motivated.”Trump has successfully received retractions and apologies from HarperCollins Publishers, Democratic strategist James Carville and The Daily Beast.She also emphasized Thursday that she was unaware of Epstein’s crimes despite their social connection.“I have never had any knowledge of (Epstein’s) abuse of his victims. I was never involved in any capacity. I was not a participant. I was never on Epstein’s plane, and never visited his private island,” she said, describing his actions as “repulsive.”The first lady has kept a relatively low profile in her second term, largely splitting her time between Palm Beach and New York.
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