First Lady Melania Trump made a rare public appearance at the White House to deny any ties to Jeffrey Epstein. She said he did not introduce her to Donald Trump and called on Congress to hold hearings for his survivors. Some White House staff did not even know what she was going to say beforehand. The first lady also addressed a 2002 email she sent to Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell, signing it “Love, Melania.”
She called it “casual correspondence” and said she was never on Epstein’s plane, never named in any court documents, and had no knowledge of his crimes. She did not take questions from reporters. A few hours later, President Trump went on a lengthy Truth Social posting spree. According to Mediaite, he warned Iran over reports of fees being charged to ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
He wrote, “There are reports that Iran is charging fees to tankers going through the Hormuz Strait. They better not be and, if they are, they better stop now!” He also attacked the Wall Street Journal editorial board for calling his ceasefire with Iran “premature.” Posts ranged from a court nomination to promoting a book by Representative Elise Stefanik and endorsing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban ahead of his country’s Sunday election.
Trump really let loose on his old allies
In what was perhaps the most striking part of the posting spree, Trump went after several conservative media figures who have been criticizing his handling of the Iran war. In a 482-word Truth Social post, he called Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens, and Alex Jones “stupid people” with “low IQs” who run “third rate podcasts.”
He accused them of wanting Iran to have a nuclear weapon, a claim none of them have made. He suggested Carlson “should see a good psychiatrist,” called Owens “crazy,” and took personal aim at Jones over his Sandy Hook-related financial losses. If you want to know more about how Congress has been responding to Trump’s threats against Iran, the reaction has been sharp from both sides.
BREAKING: "I have never had any knowledge of Epstein abuse of his victims. I was never involved in any capacity. I was not a participant, was never on Epstein's plane and never visited his private island." -First Lady Melania Trump pic.twitter.com/PPvpC9XFzg
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 9, 2026
The four figures have all publicly broken with Trump in recent weeks over his threats to destroy Iranian civilian infrastructure. Carlson called Trump’s Easter Truth Social post “vile on every level.”
Owens responded to the attack by writing on X, “It may be time to put Grandpa up in a home.” Jones said on his show, “Trump’s mad that he’s wrong.” Former Fox host Kelly said she was “sick of this,” adding that “you don’t just threaten to wipe out an entire civilization.”
It may be time to put Grandpa up in a home. pic.twitter.com/ruBJFA3RZw
— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) April 9, 2026
Trump ended his posting spree by sharing a video showing a convenience store clerk being beaten to death with a hammer. The suspect, according to the Department of Homeland Security, is a Haitian immigrant who had overstayed temporary protected status that expired in 2024.
𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗱 𝗝. 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗽 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝟱:𝟬𝟴 𝗣𝗠 𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝟬𝟰.𝟬𝟵.𝟮𝟲 pic.twitter.com/s63Et0ndIZ
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) April 9, 2026
Melania’s statement drew a mixed response. Some survivors welcomed the call for congressional hearings, while others said it placed too much burden on victims. A group representing survivors of the late Virginia Giuffre said the statement was “shifting the burden onto survivors” and that those in power should be doing more to release investigative files.
According to BBC, one survivor, Lisa Phillips, said she welcomed the move but called on Melania to prove her speech was not “more political theatrics.” The Epstein saga has also touched other powerful figures in recent years, and the connections between Epstein and major institutions are still being uncovered.
