WASHINGTON — Epstein survivors expressed mixed reactions on Friday to a statement by First Lady Melania Trump in which she denied any close ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and called for congressional hearings allowing victims to testify publicly.
Melania Trump issued the statement on Thursday from the White House, saying the “lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today.” She denied having a relationship with Epstein or his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, stated she had no knowledge of his crimes, and said Epstein did not introduce her to her husband. She added that she was “never on Epstein’s plane” and “never visited his private island,” according to the full text released by the White House and reported by NPR, BBC and Reuters.
In the same remarks, she urged Congress to hold public hearings “specifically centered around the survivors” so victims could testify under oath and have their accounts entered into the Congressional Record.
A group of 15 survivors and family members of the late Virginia Giuffre responded with a joint statement accusing the first lady of “shifting the burden” onto survivors. “Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein have already shown extraordinary courage by coming forward, filing reports, and giving testimony,” the group said. “Asking more of them now is a deflection of responsibility not justice.”
Survivor Marina Lacerda told Sky News she was surprised by the statement and questioned why the burden remained on victims to retell their stories. “You want to retraumatize us and ask us to go in front of Congress and tell them our story, which we have told some of them already,” she said.
Another survivor, Lisa Phillips, described the first lady’s intervention as a “bold move” but questioned what more Melania Trump could do to support accusers, according to BBC reporting. She expressed cautious optimism while suggesting pressure should be applied.
The Department of Justice reiterated its position that any survivor with information should contact federal law enforcement.
As of Saturday, no congressional action had been scheduled in response to the first lady’s call. It remained unclear whether additional survivors or lawmakers would publicly comment further on the statement or proposed hearings.
