First Lady Melania Trump delivered a firm statement from the White House on 9 April, denying any past friendship with the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. She sought to distance herself from the sex offender, shutting down public scrutiny regarding their historical overlaps.
Even though she strongly denied everything, audio recordings and newly unsealed court papers suggest a far more tangled picture. The files include claims that her early romantic encounters with Donald Trump occurred aboard Epstein's private aircraft, known as the Lolita Express.
