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In April, when first lady Melania Trump spoke about the Jeffrey Epstein scandal and the Trump family’s ties to the late sex offender, the move surprised Washington. The first lady publicly sided with the victims and, as a result, sparked a bipartisan rebellion in Congress against the Trump administration, which had resisted releasing Epstein’s full files for months.
Now the first lady’s top adviser has more information about what prompted her to speak out.
“It was about going on record about the fact that she was not involved, not connected at all, with Jeffrey Epstein,” said Mark Beckman, a senior adviser to the first lady. Politician. “She wanted to be an advocate, a leader for victims, and then finally called on Congress to give victims the opportunity to contribute to the congressional record, to appear before Congress if they wanted, and to come forward.”
During an April speech, Trump said she was never friends with Epstein, was never his victim, and never witnessed or participated in any of his crimes. She also denied claims that Epstein introduced her to Donald Trump and called on Congress to hear from victims directly in public hearings.
“Give these victims the opportunity to testify under oath before Congress, with the power to testify under oath,” the first lady said. “Every woman should have her day to tell her story publicly.”
First lady Melania Trump shocked Washington in April with a detailed speech about her and the president’s relationship with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. (Getty)
Trump’s speech drew a mixture of surprise, praise and criticism.
A group of Epstein survivors accused her in a statement this month of placing the responsibility for advancing her case on victims rather than the Justice Department, which was forced by Congress in 2025 to begin releasing Epstein’s files despite the president’s objections.
“First Lady Melania Trump is now shifting the burden to survivors in a politicized environment that protects those in power: the Department of Justice, law enforcement, prosecutors, and the Trump Administration, which has still not fully implemented the Epstein File Transparency Act,” they wrote.
Others praised Melania Trump’s public stance.
“As a survivor, this is not political, this is personal, and when the First Lady of the United States stands up and demands justice for Epstein’s victims, it really matters,” Rep. Nancy Mace, who has spoken openly about her own experiences with sexual assault, wrote on X after the speech. “These women deserve to be heard. Today they were heard.”
The Justice Department continues to fight the release of some Epstein-related material that it says needs to be suppressed to protect victims’ privacy. (AFP/Getty)
President Trump said he knew the first lady was going to make a statement, but did not know its content.
“It doesn’t bother me,” Trump said. New York Times after the performance. “I didn’t know what the statement was, but I knew she was going to make a statement.”
The Justice Department continues to refuse to turn over certain redacted information from its investigations into Jeffrey Epstein, despite a federal judge’s order to either release the documents or explain why they were withheld.
The materials include recordings of interviews with investigators who spoke with a woman who made unsubstantiated claims of attacking President Trump.
The president has not been charged with any criminal offenses related to Epstein.