First Lady Melania Trump Holds Press Conference Denying Ties to Jeffrey Epstein

First Lady Melania Trump conducted a surprise press conference at the White House on Thursday, where she addressed her past associations with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Epstein was a convicted sex offender, and Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence for trafficking.

Trump stated she never had a relationship with the pair and was invited to the same parties as them from time to time in New York City and Palm Beach.

Trump has been pictured with Epstein and Maxwell in the past. She described an email she sent to Maxwell in 2002, signed 'Love, Melania,' as casual correspondence. During the press conference, Trump called on Congress to hold hearings where Epstein survivors could share their stories on the congressional record.

The press conference occurred amid the release of millions of documents from federal investigations into Epstein and Maxwell. Legislation passed by Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump in November ordered the Justice Department to publicly release all files connected to the Epstein case.

The Department of Justice and Trump administration officials are facing parallel investigations from Congress regarding the government's handling of the probes.

White House reporters expressed surprise at the timing of the event. President Trump stated he was not aware of the first lady's statement in advance. A White House official indicated that many staffers were caught off guard.

Media correspondents sought explanations for the press conference. Fox News senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich noted efforts to determine if the statement reacted to existing news or anticipated developments. Marc Beckman, a senior adviser to the first lady, told the New York Post that she spoke out because 'enough is enough' and that lies about her relationship with Epstein and Maxwell must stop.