Trump's Trials - In rare public statement, Melania Trump denies close ties to Jeffrey Epstein

Episode Date: April 10, 2026

First Lady Melania Trump made a rare public statement on Thursday, saying she was not friends with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and wasn't introduced to President Trump by him. NPR's Saige Miller reports.Support NPR and hear every episode of Trump's Terms sponsor-free with NPR+. Sign up at plus.npr.org.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

I'm Scott Detrow, and this is Trump's terms from NPR. Every episode, we bring you one story from NPR's coverage of the Trump administration with the focus on actions and policies that take the presidency into uncharted territory. Here's the latest from NPR. From NPR News, I'm Stevenskeep in Washington, D.C. We do not know exactly why. First Lady Melania Trump spoke out yesterday, but she certainly did. She denied ever having a relationship with the last.

convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and with his co-conspirator Galane Maxwell. She also slammed reports and online rumors that she said connected her to Epstein. The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today. Months ago, the Justice Department released some

but not all files related to Epstein and Maxwell. And personal correspondence in those files mentions Melania and her husband, President Trump. And Pierre Sage Miller has more. For a first lady known for her mystique, it was a surprising moment to see her deliver a forceful answer to a question no one seemed to have asked. I am not Epstein's victim. Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump. The First Lady added she never traveled on his private jet or visited his island.

Both Trumps have denied any wrongdoing or knowledge of Epstein's alleged crimes. The First Lady also addressed an email she sent Maxwell that was released by the Justice Department. My email replied to Maxwell cannot be catarized as anything more than casual correspondence. She stressed that fake images and statements of her and Epstein have been circulating for years. She cautioned people to not believe everything they see. Trump ended her statement by calling on Congress to let victims of Epstein testify. Each and every woman should have her day to tell her story in public if she wishes. It's unclear why the First Lady decided to speak out now.

But some Democrats in Congress have called on her to testify as part of the House Oversight's investigation into Epstein. Sage Miller, NPR News. And before we wrap up, a thank you to our NPR Plus supporters who hear each show without sponsored messages. course, who help protect independent journalism. If you are not a supporter yet, you can visit plus.npr.org to find out how you can get a ton of podcast perks across dozens of NPR shows, like bonus episodes, exclusive merchandise, and more. Again, that's plus.npr.org. I'm Scott Detrow. Thanks for listening to Trump's Terms from NPR.