Bill and Hillary Clinton have been compelled to testify before the House Oversight Committee, chaired by Rep. James Comer (R-KY). No former president has been forced to testify before Congress, though several have appeared voluntarily. Many of them appeared by giving written depositions, as did many of the witnesses called by Comer in the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. Still, Comer refused that option, insisting on dragging the Clintons before his committee. The hearing will be behind closed doors, filmed, and a transcript will be made.
One former first lady appeared before a Congressional Committee. Eleanor Roosevelt appeared voluntarily in 1946 to defend democratic principles at a time she feared the country was drifting toward fear-based politics. Republicans had won control of Congress, and we were entering the era of McCarthyism. Her appearance is preserved in the printed record titled:
“Hearings Regarding the Communist Infiltration of the Motion Picture Industry,” House Committee on Un‑American Activities, 79th Congress, 2nd Session (1946).
Here are a few notable quotes from her testimony:
“I have never believed that we should fear to think, or fear to express our opinions.”
“The greatest danger to our democracy is not from any foreign ideology, but from the suppression of our own freedoms.”
“You do not preserve democracy by attacking those who disagree with you.”
There is a precedent for an active first lady appearing. Rosalynn Carter spoke twice before Congress on invitation. Carter appeared as a subject matter expert in support of the President’s Commission on Mental Health in 1979, and again before the Senate Aging Committee in 1980.
Melania Trump is in a unique position to testify before the House Oversight Committee. The hearings are a broad, aggressive investigation focused on uncovering how Jeffrey Epstein operated, who enabled him, and why federal authorities failed to stop him sooner. The inquiry is framed as a transparency and accountability effort, with a heavy emphasis on compelling testimony from high‑profile figures, including Bill and Hillary Clinton.
The committee states that its purpose is to examine Epstein’s sex‑trafficking operations, his relationship with influential political and business figures, how he and Ghislaine Maxwell evaded scrutiny for decades, and whether federal agencies mishandled or suppressed evidence.
Chair James Comer has repeatedly framed the inquiry as an effort to deliver “transparency and accountability for survivors.”
Melania knew Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, traveled and partied in the same circles. Melania was in a unique position to observe them working at Mar-a-Lago, where they often picked up young girls. Melania might be able to explain why there were young girls around at Mar-a-Lago in the first place. Melania is unique in that her road to America is similar to many Epstein survivors who began as European models before ultimately being trafficked to and by Epstein. I should note that Melania was older than most Epstein victims when she came to America at 26.
Melania wouldn’t be just any witness; she was on the inside. A recent Epstein Files release shows email correspondence between Melania and Ghislaine Maxwell:
“Dear GI, How are you? Nice story about JE in NY mag. You look great on the picture,” she wrote. “I know you are very busy flying all over the world. How was Palm Beach? I cannot wait to go down. Give me a call when you are back in NY. Have a great time! Love, Melania.”
Maxwell responded:
"Sweet pea — thanks for your message. Actually plans changed again and I am now on my way back to NY. I leave again on Fri so I still do not think I have time to see you sadly. I will try and call though. Keep well."
Melania may be able to shed some light on how Epstein introduced the girls in his network to older women. Two sources are known to have stated that Epstein introduced Melania to Donald Trump. Author Michael Wolff reported that Epstein took credit for that introduction in an interview with Wolff. An unnamed witness interviewed by the FBI in 2019 made the same assertion that was recently released in the Epstein Files:
Melania and Donald emphatically deny the claim that they were introduced by Epstein. The official version of their meeting has long been that the pair was introduced by Melania’s modeling agent, Paolo Zampolli, at a 1998 Fashion Week party in Manhattan. At the time, Trump was still legally married to Marla Maples (though separated) and was on a date with another woman when he asked for Melania’s number. She allegedly refused to give her number but did accept his. Even in her version, Melania can’t pretend she didn’t know what Donald was when she was on the other end of his cheating.
While there is no precedent for forcing a first lady to testify before Congress, James Comer has broken multiple precedents while hounding the Clintons, who may offer valuable insights into Epstein and his network. On the other hand, Melania is just as likely to have information as the Clintons, possibly more. Michael Wolff reported Epstein saying the first time Donald and Melania had sex was on his plane. Melania’s name was never recorded as a passenger on the “Lolita Express,” though Donald’s name appears at least eight times, despite Trump’s denial that he ever flew on the plane. If Melania ever flew on Epstein’s plane, her name wasn’t recorded. Melania may know how flight logs were edited and whether it happened frequently.
Testifying truthfully before Congress might be Melania’s way out of what the world can see as a bad situation. If she has damaging information about Epstein and her husband’s involvement, Melania might even become a sympathetic figure and get out of her marriage, taking the $28 million she made on he documentary with her.
For decades, the Epstein network thrived because influential people assumed they would never be asked uncomfortable questions. Survivors were ignored, institutions looked away, and the public was told to accept that some truths were too tangled to pursue. Melania’s subpoena could break that spell. Accountability is not supposed to stop when you brush against wealth, or fame, or proximity to a former or current president.
Melania almost certainly knows something that could help fill in the blanks surrounding Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Her testimony might be her first step in establishing a new life. Her current existence seems like rotating through Dante’s nine circles of hell.
Melania should volunteer to testify now, rather than wait for a possible subpoena after the mid-term elections, when James Comer likely won’t be running the show. Melania could get ahead of the story, possibly coming out favorably, even seen as a victim herself. Or she could hide, block, and deflect, making it seem as if she really doesn’t care.