I was as surprised as anyone else when Melania Trump walked into the Grand Foyer at the White House at 2:30 PM and stepped to the awaiting microphones. She strode down the hallway like the runway model she once was, surrounded by American flags. Melania Trump’s April 9, 2026, statement is the first documented instance of a First Lady using the Grand Foyer as the setting for a nationally broadcast address. The Grand Foyer is generally reserved for important speeches in moments of national importance. George W. Bush announced the capture of Saddam Hussein and the start of the Iraq War. Barack Obama made a statement after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. Donald Trump announced the death of George H.W. Bush, and now Melania Trump shared that she had no relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
The Office of the First Lady sent an alert to media outlets on Wednesday morning, announcing a press conference for the First Lady on Thursday. No information was provided about the topic, so it came as a shock when the first line of her statement after “Good afternoon” was the following:
“The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today.”
Here is Melania’s full statement, taken from the White House website, presumably not considered fake news.
After her statement, Melania didn’t engage with the press, disappearing into the Blue Room as reporters shouted questions. MSNOW reporter Jackie Alemany called Donald Trump to ask if he was aware of the content of Melania’s statement. Trump replied, “I didn’t know anything about it.”
Melania’s press conference raised many more questions than it answered, including why she felt compelled to give it in the first place. The entire administration, including her husband and the Justice Department, is doing everything it can to make Epstein a non-story, and Melania pushes it right back on the front page.
Early in her statement, Melania referred to “mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation.” Later, she refers to individuals and entities looking to slander her.
“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.”
Is it possible that Melania exists in a bubble where she is totally unaware of what people outside of MAGA think of her name, especially her last name? It’s safe to say that most of the country views Melania as someone who looked away from the worst abuses of her husband’s administration, including the child separation policy of Trump’s first administration.
“They said, ‘Oh, what about the children that were separated?’ Give me a fucking break.”
Back to the question of why Melania gave this statement. The consensus is that she’s trying to get ahead of news that’s about to break. Melania swears she’s never been friends with Epstein and Maxwell. Taking great care to say the email from her to Maxwell previously released by the Justice Department was “casual correspondence.”
“Dear G! How are you? Nice story about JE in NY mag. You look great in the picture. 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.”
Also in the Epstein files was Maxwell’s response:
“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.”
What Melania described as “polite” conversation reads like Melania is a fan girl, desperate for Maxwell to be her friend. They have each other's email addresses and phone numbers, along with cute little pet names for each other.
Melania addresses a rumor that Epstein introduced Trump to her. This raises questions about Melania’s arrival in America, along a pipeline normally traveled by younger European models coming to New York. She was brought to New York at age 26 by modeling agent Paolo Zampolli in 1996. Multiple investigations reported evidence that Melania Trump performed paid modeling work in 1996 before she had a visa that allowed employment. When Trump was running for President in 2016, he said that Melania would hold a press conference “in a couple of weeks” to address her immigration status; that press conference has yet to occur.
When Melania Knauss arrived in New York in 1996, she moved into an apartment arranged by Paolo Zampolli, who also sponsored her H‑1B work visa. Melania “moved into Zampolli’s building at Zeckendorf Towers,” a large residential complex on the east side of Union Square. Zampolli used the building to house many of the models he recruited internationally. Photographer Matthew Atanian, a former roommate, has described Melania’s dating life.
William Spivey
As her statement suggests, Melania and her attorneys have been very aggressive in suing those who write about her for defamation and libel. People have taken back statements about her because they weren’t documented, but that doesn’t make them untrue. Melania explicitly denies being introduced to Donald by Epstein, though there is an unverified statement from the DOJ-released files where that claim was reported.
“I am not Epstein’s victim. Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump.”
Melania tells us she was never an Epstein victim or a participant in Epstein’s and Maxwell’s crimes. It is clear that Melania never knew Epstein as a child, so whatever relationship she had with Epstein or Maxwell, it was as a grown ass woman and not an inexperienced teenager. Her history along the model pipeline doesn’t exclude the possibility she was trafficked herself, just not by Epstein.
“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, was never on Epstein’s plane, and never visited his private island.”
Melania’s denials about being on Epstein’s plane bring to mind a quote from a November 9, 2016, email of Jeffrey Epstein’s about activity on Trump’s private plane.
“I remember flying back with Donald on his plane the first weekend I went to visit you in Florida, which was the weekend he met Melania and he kept on coming out of the bedroom saying ‘wow what a hot piece of ass,’”
Melania refers to false images and statements about her and Epstein. There are undoubtedly some. During my research, I ran across an image of Epstein feeling up Melania, which was certainly fake. The problem is the authentic photos demonstrating a relationship between the two couples (Jeffrey & Ghislaine and Donald & Melania), which, combined with Melania’s email exchange with Ghislaine, makes it clear they know each other well.
If there is a bombshell story coming it’s a doozy. When it arrives, it won’t be satisfactory to make another statement and run away without answering questions. Melania needs to get in line to testify before Congress, not unlike Hillary Clinton, a former First Lady, who was compelled to testify. Hillary testified she had never met Jeffrey Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell. Melania can’t exactly say that.
William Spivey
Every Donald Trump attempt to distance himself from the Epstein Files has failed, and now, so has Melania’s. Each day seems to bring us closer to the truth. Both Trumps should ask not for whom the bell tolls. It will be tolling for thee.