Melania Trump Denies Epstein Ties

In a surprise move that stunned White House aides, Melania Trump addressed the media to distance herself from Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

The first lady dismissed a polite email reply to Maxwell as 'casual correspondence' and insisted she was never friends with the disgraced financier.

Her statement has thrust the Epstein scandal back into the political spotlight, even as President Trump claimed he was unaware of her plans to speak.

Survivors of Epstein's abuse have responded with mixed feelings, with some accusing her of shifting the burden of testimony onto them.