Melania Trump denies any Epstein connection, seeks end to 'lies'

US first lady Melania Trump on Thursday denied having any relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, reviving a highly sensitive issue that her husband has repeatedly sought to downplay.

She denied online speculation that Epstein had introduced her to Donald Trump, saying she met her husband at a New York City party in 1998.

"I am not Epstein’s victim," she said. She also urged Congress to provide public hearings for Epstein victims to tell their stories under oath.

"The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today," Melania Trump said, reading a statement and declining to take questions from reporters.

The extraordinary address, delivered beneath the presidential seal in the White House foyer, brings renewed scrutiny to the Epstein case, which has roiled Trump's presidency as his supporters accuse his administration of mishandling disclosures from government files.

Trump last week fired his attorney general, Pam Bondi, a particular target of ire for Trump loyalists after the Justice Department slow-walked the release of millions of files related to Epstein.

Trump, a onetime friend of Epstein who said he cut ties with the financier in the early 2000s, is among many famous people - celebrities, politicians and intellectuals - named in the government files.

Melania Trump did not say why she chose to speak out on Thursday, as the Epstein saga had largely receded from the headlines amid the US-Israeli war against Iran.

But Marc Beckman, her senior adviser, told Reuters in a statement: “First Lady Melania Trump spoke out now because enough is enough. The lies must stop."

The first lady said she had never had a relationship with Epstein or his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, with whom she said she had only a casual correspondence.

She said she first "crossed paths" with Epstein in 2000 at an event she attended with her husband.

"At the time, I had never met Epstein and had no knowledge of his criminal undertakings," she said.

Epstein was facing federal charges of trafficking minors when he died in jail in 2019 in what was ruled a suicide.

"I have 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," she said.