Melania Trump reportedly caught both her husband and his administration off guard with an unusually public statement addressing Jeffrey Epstein.
On April 9, the first lady spoke at the White House amid renewed speculation about any connection she may have had to Epstein. The remarks came roughly two months after more than three million files related to the late convicted sex offender were released.
During her address, Melania said: “I [have] never been friends with Epstein. Donald and I were invited to the same parties as Epstein from time to time, since overlapping in social circles is common in New York City and Palm Beach.”
She also said she ‘never had a relationship’ with Epstein or his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.
The timing and prominence of the statement drew immediate attention, with Fox News senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich describing it as ‘left field’.
Heinrich expanded on the surprise during a broadcast aired yesterday, saying: “We’ve been trying to understand why she made it today, if there was something that she is reacting to that might already be in the news that has upset her, or if there’s a story that’s yet to come out, that’s about to drop that she wanted to get ahead of,” and adding: “Because it did feel like it came out of left field for us.”
She later said: “I’ve called every contact in my phone, including the president, and not gotten any answers.”
Although Heinrich said she didn’t get clarification, MS Now host Jacqueline Alemany reportedly reached President Trump by phone.
She wrote on X: “Just got off a quick call w President Trump who said he didn’t ‘know anything about’ FLOTUS’ statement prior to her on camera appearance, but that he was in a meeting about the war & couldn’t speak further. ‘She didn’t know him,’ he added before hanging up, referring to Epstein.”
Melania Trump’s former Chief of Staff and former White House press secretary, Stephanie Grisham, later pushed back on the idea that the president was unaware, calling it ‘BS’ and suggesting Trump likely did know what was coming.
Just got off a quick call w President Trump who said he didnt “know anything about” FLOTUS’ statement prior to her on camera appearance, but that he was in a meeting about the war & couldn’t speak further. “She didn’t know him,” he added before hanging up, referring to Epstein.
— Jacqueline Alemany (@JaxAlemany) April 9, 2026
Speaking to CNN, Grisham said: “I’m going to say, I call BS on our president saying he knew nothing about it, because at the very least, I imagine she would have given him a heads up if she had sent an advisory out yesterday,”
Grisham also said she wasn’t surprised by Melania’s decision to step out publicly on the issue.
“Melania Trump thinks about everything she does, and she thinks about it for a very long time,” Grisham explained, “and she does things very strategically.”
“She knew full well that walking out there into the White House residence, behind that podium like that, would make absolute waves,” the former White House press secretary added.