JAKARTA - Melania Trump on Thursday local time delivered a statement at the White House. In his statement, he denied ever having a relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. However, the statement actually raised new questions.
The Guardian, quoted on Friday, April 10, reported that the US first lady insisted that she had never been friends with Epstein. She also said that Epstein had never introduced her to Donald Trump. In the same statement, Melania asked Congress to hold a public hearing with Epstein survivors.
What then came into the spotlight was the time. Until now it is not clear what prompted Melania to speak in public. A number of White House reporters, including from conservative media, admitted to being confused as to why she chose to speak up now.
Senior Fox News correspondent, Jacqui Heinrich, said the statement came suddenly. He even admitted that he had contacted many sources, including the president, but had not received an answer. The New York Post also questioned the timing of the statement. Because, the White House is said to be trying to stay away from the Epstein issue, which continues to overshadow Trump's second term.
In her explanation, Melania admitted that she and Donald Trump had been to the same party several times with Epstein. According to Melania, it was normal because the social circles in New York and Palm Beach often intersected. She also said her email to Maxwell was just ordinary correspondence.
Documents released by the Department of Justice earlier this year include an email exchange allegedly involving Melania and Maxwell. As reported by The Guardian, one of the emails was signed with "Love, Melania". In an email dated October 23, 2002, the sender wrote that there was "a great story about JE in the NY mag", then asked to be contacted when the recipient returned to New York. The reply came from "G. Max".
Although the email address was disguised and there was no absolute proof that it was indeed Melania, the first lady seemed to refer to the communication when defending herself. He said his email reply to Maxwell was nothing more than a trivial note.
Melania's long trail with Epstein's circle is also recorded. She was photographed several times with Epstein at a Mar-a-Lago party in 2000. On November 11, 2002, Melania and Maxwell were also photographed with Donald Trump and Naomi Campbell at a Dolce & Gabbana event in New York.
As for whether Donald Trump knew about the plan for the statement, the answer is still confusing. An MS Now host reported that Trump said over the phone that he didn't know anything before Melania appeared. However, the first lady's spokesperson told the New York Times that the president knew his wife would make a statement, although it was later unclear whether he knew the contents of her statement.
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