The Daily Fuckup

Melania Trump used a White House statement on April 9, 2026 to reject claims that Jeffrey Epstein introduced her to Donald Trump. In the statement, she said she met Donald Trump at a New York City party in 1998 and not through Epstein. She also said the first time she crossed paths with Epstein was in 2000. ([whitehouse.gov](https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/2026/04/first-lady-melania-trump-statement/))

The statement is unusually direct for a first lady and makes clear what she is disputing: the idea that Epstein was the link between her and Donald Trump. On the White House page, Melania Trump said she had never been friends with Epstein, said she had not had a relationship with him or Ghislaine Maxwell, and said her previous statements about meeting her husband are documented in her book. ([whitehouse.gov](https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/2026/04/first-lady-melania-trump-statement/))

The public response also goes beyond a simple correction. Melania Trump said the claims about her are false, said she has never been involved in Epstein’s crimes, and called on Congress to hold a public hearing for Epstein survivors. Those remarks put the White House into the middle of a renewed fight over old associations and new online claims. ([whitehouse.gov](https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/2026/04/first-lady-melania-trump-statement/))

What is verified here is narrow but important: Melania Trump did issue a statement on April 9 denying that Epstein introduced her to Donald Trump. The statement does not change the larger public record around Epstein, but it does add an official Trump-family denial to a rumor that had been circulating online. ([whitehouse.gov](https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/2026/04/first-lady-melania-trump-statement/))