First Lady Melania Trump stepped to a White House podium on Thursday, April 9, and tried to draw a hard line under one of the most toxic stories in Washington, publicly denying any meaningful relationship with Jeffrey Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell just as new polling showed her standing with Americans has sunk to a historic low for a modern first lady.
In a rare televised statement, Melania Trump said the "lies" linking her to Epstein "need to end today," calling the claims defamatory and insisting she had no knowledge of his crimes. The White House also published the text of her remarks, in which she said she was never Epstein's victim, never traveled on his plane, never visited his island and was never his friend.
