All posts tagged "jeffrey epstein"

Melania said to have sent coded Epstein message about 'exquisitely vulnerable' husband

Melania Trump's statement regarding her involvement with Jeffrey Epstein has endangered President Donald Trump, a biographer has claimed.

Michael Wolff, the author behind Fire and Fury: Inside the White House, believes the First Lady's statement is not just about creating distance between her and child sex offender Epstein, but about dragging Trump back into the spotlight on his ties to the notorious child abuser.

Melania Trump delivered a six-minute statement earlier this month addressing her connection to Epstein, triggering significant controversy and raising troubling questions about Donald Trump's own relationship with the disgraced financier.

Melania declared, "To be clear, I never had a relationship with Epstein or his accomplice, [Ghislaine] Maxwell," directly distancing herself from the scandal.

Wolff, during an appearance on Inside Trump's Head, said, "The first thing was, ‘You’re not going to pin this Epstein stuff on me. This Epstein stuff is your problem. You got us into this'. To me, [it] read, ‘Congress should investigate you.’ You, my husband, the president.

"She opened up the one area that I think Donald Trump is exquisitely vulnerable on, which is that period in the 1990s, early 2000s. A period of [where] lots of models, girls, his whole connection to the modeling industry.

“We come back, always, to the question: why would she do this? Why would she call attention to this particular moment in time? I think that she’s saying [to Trump], that’s your problem, and don’t put it on me. You better protect me in this."

Department of Justice materials revealed Trump was mentioned thousands of times in Epstein-related files, including correspondence showing Trump's relationship with Epstein was more than casual. Melania's strategic silence on Trump's innocence has fueled speculation about potential legal exposure ahead.

Due to the sheer volume of Epstein-related materials released by the DOJ, many of the documents contain unverified, uncorroborated allegations that do not constitute evidence and do not establish wrongdoing. Trump is not facing any criminal charges or investigations related to the allegation.

Ex-Republican insider delivers grim prediction Trump will let Ghislaine Maxwell 'walk'

Ex-Republican operative Rick Wilson said Thursday that he anticipates President Donald Trump will extend a pardon to Jeffrey Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell.

In his Substack, the co-founder of the anti-Trump group The Lincoln Project wrote how Trump's pervasive use of pardons could soon lead to Maxwell's exit from prison.

"And the pardons. Dear God, the pardons," Wilson wrote. "What was once the solemn prerogative of a sovereign, the mercy of a republic, the final conscience of the state, is now a product on a shelf, with a price tag payable in cash, crypto, or the correct political humiliation."

Trump has issued more than 1,700 pardons since returning to office in 2025, including nearly 1,600 Jan. 6 rioters.

"Fraudsters walk. Tax cheats walk. Violent insurrectionists walk," Wilson added. "Campaign donors with federal indictments walk twice and get brunch. Pay the man, take the paper, leave through the back door of the West Wing, and don’t forget to tip the butler. Very soon now, Ghislaine Maxwell will walk. Mark it down."

Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking of a minor, has told lawmakers she will testify under oath — but only under the condition of clemency. The move has split House Oversight and Government Reform Committee members leading the probe into Jeffrey Epstein and his co-conspirators over whether President Donald Trump should grant her that pardon. Maxwell was previously deposed by House lawmakers and invoked her Fifth Amendment right to decline to answer the committee's questions. Trump is the only one with the power to pardon her, something he has not yet ruled out.

Comer lashes out at 'clickbait' over reporting on possible pardon for Epstein accomplice

Republican Rep. James Comer made a heated defense and promise not to shield an accomplice of disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffery Epstein after he was criticized for watering down the rules of an investigation.

"I made my position clear: I am not open to a pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell," Comer wrote on X in response to an article by Politico reporter Hailey Fuchs.

In the Wednesday article, Fuchs reported that Comer told her that "a lot of people" and fellow members of the House Oversight Committee, which he chairs, want to pardon Maxwell.

"My committee is split on that," Comer is quoted saying in the article, which stated that "Comer himself wasn't in favor."

Despite the clarification of Comer's position on Maxwell, he felt like he needed to reiterate it on X in response to Fuchs posting her article.

"In the future, use my full statement," Comer posted. "Don't post clickbait."

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee penned a letter on April 17 to Comer for "running scared" from the Epstein investigation and allowing informal "roundtables" without rules.

"Republicans are retreating from real hearings and hiding behind roundtables to avoid votes they are losing," House Democrats wrote in the letter.

'Massive cover up' fears raised as House panel splits on clemency for Ghislaine Maxwell

Ghislaine Maxwell's condition to testify under oath — but only under the condition of clemency — has split House Oversight and Government Reform Committee members over whether President Donald Trump should grant her that pardon, Rep. James Comer (R-KY) told Politico on Wednesday.

Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein's co-conspirator, was deposed by the committee and invoked her Fifth Amendment right to decline to answer the group's questions. Trump is the only one with the power to pardon her, something he has not yet ruled out.

Comer told Politico that he did not favor a pardon for Maxwell, a former confidant to the late financier and convicted child sex offender. When asked whether striking a deal with Maxwell could provide useful testimony, Comer did not share who on the panel supported granting her clemency.

"A lot of people do," Comer said.

"My committee’s split on that," Comer said. "I don’t speak for my committee."

"I think it looks bad," he added. "Honestly, other than Epstein, the worst person in this whole investigation is Maxwell."

Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) said that Democrats on the committee collectively oppose a pardon for Maxwell.

"That would be a huge step backwards, and, quite frankly, so disrespectful to the survivors," he said in an interview. "She is a known abuser. She is a known liar."

"If the DOJ or Oversight Republicans are out there trying to negotiate some sort of pardon that is... not only a huge slap in the face to this investigation, to anyone, to the American public," Garcia said. "It’s a part of a massive cover up."

Ghislaine Maxwell makes dramatic move with new Epstein materials sent to DOJ: report

Convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell has sent new materials to the Department of Justice, according to reports on Wednesday.

Maxwell sent the Department of Justice a USB stick to support her appeal against her 20-year sentence, reported The Swamp, The Daily Beast's Substack. Although it's unclear what was contained in the digital file, calls to make the materials public were expected.

The Epstein co-conspirator made the move just a week after First lady Melania Trump released a public statement at the White House and attempted to deny any connection to Maxwell and the late convicted child sex offender and financier.

"It seems that Ghislaine Maxwell didn’t want Melania Trump to be the only one to have her say over their mutual pal Jeffrey Epstein," The Swamp reported.

'Never said that!' Trump AG squirms when pressed on burying Epstein files

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche got defensive and backpedaled on his previous statements with a reporter on Wednesday when he was pushed to answer a question about the files in the Jeffrey Epstein case.

Blanche was speaking with Semafor's White House correspondent Shelby Talcott during the Semafor World Economy summit when she brought up how last week first lady Melania Trump denied she had any ties to the late financier and convicted child sex offender. Talcott asked if Blanche and the Department of Justice would support giving Epstein survivors a chance to testify before Congress, something Trump had suggested in her statement.

"Of course, the DOJ has said that from the beginning," Blanche said. "We have said, repeatedly, from day one, that if there's any victim that wants to come forward and talk about what they know, whether it's something that happened by Mr. Epstein, who's dead, or another individual or individuals. That's what the FBI does. And we arrested 1,700 defendants last year for abusing women in some way, shape or form. That's the essence of what we do. Whether that victim testifies in front of Congress, if asked, whether that victim comes to the FBI, we have never, ever said that we would say 'No, that's OK. We don't want to hear from you.' Director Patel has said that repeatedly, Attorney General Bondi has said that repeatedly, I have said that repeatedly, and we have no issues with that and of course, that is what we'd want."

Blanche denied having mixed messaging for the survivors and public about the investigation.

"I've never said that we should move past it. If somebody has that, I'd love to see it," Blanche said, defending the DOJ's investigation.

Earlier this month, Blanche had told Fox News the following:

"I think that to the extent that the Epstein files was a part of the past year of this Justice Department, it should not be a part of anything going forward."

"I've never said we should move past that," @DAGToddBlanche tells @ShelbyTalcott when asked about Jeffrey Epstein.

Earlier this month, Blanche told Fox News: “I think that to the extent that the Epstein files was a part of the past year of this Justice Department, it should not… pic.twitter.com/mR95vgNQaM
— Semafor (@semafor) April 15, 2026

Melania Trump misstep has plunged her into 'nightmare of her own making’: columnist

First lady Melania Trump made a serious miscalculation when she denied a relationship with late financier and convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, which has backfired, a columnist explained on Saturday.

The Guardian's Arwa Mahdawi described how Melania Trump's move has now led to "a nightmare of her own making," as questions swirl over what prompted the first lady to publicly comment on the matter amid the Iran war.

"Melania may not be the president, but she is in the same sycophantic bubble as her husband," Mahdawi wrote. "It’s possible she just thought she could hold a press conference and command all us plebs to stop talking about her, and we would immediately obey."

But that's not what happened.

"On the contrary, however, the first lady has now created a PR nightmare for herself," Mahdawi wrote. "In a statement released on Thursday, a group of Epstein survivors accused Trump of 'shifting the burden onto survivors under politicized conditions to protect those with power.' They added that her statement 'diverts attention from [former attorney general] Pam Bondi, who must answer for withheld files and the exposure of survivors’ identities. Those failures continue to put lives at risk while shielding enablers. Survivors have done their part. Now it’s time for those in power to do theirs.'"

And as reports surface that the first lady could have been trying to get ahead of something or try to control the narrative around Epstein, her public comments sparked more speculation.

"If a bombshell about the Trump-Epstein relationship is about to drop, it feels on-brand for the White House to drown it out with a real explosion," Mahdawi added.

Megyn Kelly rips Melania Trump's Epstein denial: 'Why did she do this?'

MAGA podcaster Megyn Kelly slammed First lady Melania Trump's denial of a relationship with late convicted child sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Kelly was responding to the bombshell comments this week and posed several questions during her podcast on Friday "The Megyn Kelly Show," Radar reported.

"Why did she do this?" Kelly asked. "That’s really what everyone was asking. Why? Like, everyone knows. Everyone knows in PR, once the storm has passed, you don't do anything to bring it back upon you."

Kelly was confused why Melania would bring up the topic — and surprise the public with her statements — while the world was waiting for updates on the war in Iran.

"If she doesn't want people talking about her relationship with Ghislaine Maxwell, or whatever it was with Epstein, then she shouldn't talk about her relationship with Ghislaine Maxwell or Jeffrey Epstein," Kelly said.

Kelly added that the move was unusual, "especially when — has that been in the news? Have any of you been seeing that in the news? The news right now is non-stop Iran."

'Quit the rotten carcass': Analysts say Melania just sent husband a shot across the bow

First lady Melania Trump's bombshell denial of ties to Jeffrey Epstein made a major omission, political analysts reported on Friday.

The Bulwark's William Kristol, Andrew Egger, and Jim Swift identified that it was what the first lady did not say — and who she did not name — that was most revealing. The move effectively threw her husband, President Donald Trump, under the bus.

"Yesterday, Melania Trump made her move to quit the rotten carcass of her husband’s presidency," The Bulwark reported.

"Left unsaid, but not unimplied, was that none of these claims could be made about her husband," according to The Bulwark report. "He was a pal of Epstein’s. He was on Epstein’s plane. His relationship with Epstein, as exemplified for example in his contribution to Epstein’s birthday book, was more than 'casual' or 'trivial.'"

Melania also referred to the survivors and showed concern for them, something that the Trump administration has not yet done. Her husband has called the public's interest in Epstein "a hoax" and suggested the saga should go away altogether.

"The truth hasn’t yet been uncovered, and we need to uncover it," The Bulwark reported. "And if doing so leads more 'prominent male executives' to resign, so be it. One wonders: Could Melania have one prominent male chief executive in mind?"

"Melania chose not to include in her statement any assertion of her husband’s innocence of complicity in the Epstein affair," The Bulwark explained.

What she said — and what remains unknown — raises major questions.

"And now she seems to think that the man to whom she hitched herself may be going down. She’s trying to arrange not to go down with him," according to The Bulwark.

"She presumably doesn’t think her husband can be induced to become one of those 'prominent male executives' who resigns from his powerful position. But she knows that he can be removed from it. Isn’t Melania signaling others in the Trump administration and her husband’s supporters in Congress that it’s time to abandon ship, that it’s time to remove him from office?"

Jen Psaki rips Melania Trump's 'bizarre' Epstein comments: 'In her own La La Land'

MS NOW's Jen Psaki blasted First lady Melania Trump for her "self-important way" of reigniting the Jeffrey Epstein saga by delivering a rare statement denying involvement with the former financier and convicted child abuser.

Psaki explained how the timing of Melania's comments were unclear, especially since there is evidence of a social relationship between Melania, her husband Donald Trump, Epstein, and his conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell, whom Melania had emailed multiple times, according to documents released by the Justice Department.

The public move caught Psaki — and many others — off guard.

"I was thinking, am I hallucinating? What the h--- is going on? Whose ideas was this? I had lots of questions," Psaki said. "I guess one possibility is a sign that the war really is going that badly — I'm certainly going to talk to John Kerry about that. Another is that they are trying to get ahead of a story that a reporter is working on."

Psaki, who has worked in multiple administrations, was confused by what prompted Melania to deliver her remarks.

"She said she wanted to clear her good name. From what exactly?" Psaki asked. "Because again, the unavoidable question on everybody's mind was why now, why at all, why ever?"

White House staffers were apparently caught off guard by the move.

"So the first lady talked a lot about herself, and in her own La La Land, she also tried to present herself, the spouse of the man withholding the Epstein files, as some sort of defender of survivors," Psaki said.

Melania called for a congressional hearing for Epstein survivors, so they could testify under oath — something Democrats have been trying to do and Republicans have pushed back against. A group of survivors and family members responded to her statement in disbelief, arguing that she was taking the attention away from former Attorney General Pam Bondi and the DOJ.

"First lady Melania Trump is now shifting the burden onto survivors under politicized conditions that protect those with power," according to the statement.

Psaki had another suggestion for Melania.

"Maybe the first lady can just saunter over across the hallway, in the residence, and ask her own husband to release the remaining Epstein files," Psaki added. "That would be far more powerful than her performance this morning."