First Lady Calls for Public Congressional Hearing on Epstein Victims

First lady Melania Trump denied on April 9 that she had close ties with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, calling such claims "lies" and "completely false." During a White House statement, she called on Congress to hold a public hearing where survivors could testify under oath and have their accounts permanently entered into the Congressional Record.

Trump stated she had "never been friends with Jeffrey Epstein" and denied any knowledge of his abuse of victims. She acknowledged having "casual" email correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's co-conspirator, which she attributed to both inhabiting the same New York social circles. Trump said she and President Donald Trump met "by chance" and that Epstein did not introduce them.

Trump addressed what she described as "fake" images and statements circulating on social media for years, urging the public to be cautious about what they believe online. She did not specify which images or statements she referenced when asked by reporters.

The House Oversight Committee has been conducting its own probe of the Epstein case and issued subpoenas to compel witness testimony, but has not held a formal public hearing. The Justice Department released more than 3 million pages of Epstein-related documents in January, though no arrests in the U.S. have resulted from the release.

Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, responded on X: "We agree with First Lady Melania Trump's call for a public hearing with the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein. We encourage Chairman Comer to respond to the First Lady's request and schedule a public hearing immediately." Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), who led efforts to subpoena former Attorney General Pam Bondi, thanked Melania Trump "for standing up for survivors and demanding transparency."

Context

President Trump has denied wrongdoing related to Epstein allegations, and no evidence has suggested he participated in Epstein's trafficking operation. Trump has stated he and Epstein had a falling out years ago. In November, Trump called on Republican lawmakers to release the Epstein files and shift political focus to affordability, writing on Truth Social: "Nobody cared about Jeffrey Epstein when he was alive."

Congress has previously engaged with Epstein survivors. In September, a bipartisan group including Speaker Mike Johnson met with some victims before Congress passed legislation compelling the Justice Department to release Epstein-related materials. During a House Judiciary Committee hearing earlier this year, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) asked then-Attorney General Pam Bondi to apologize directly to victims present at the hearing. Bondi declined, stating she would not "get in the gutter for [Jayapal's] theatrics."

What's Next

The House Oversight Committee has not yet scheduled a public hearing in response to Melania Trump's call. A spokesperson for committee chair James Comer (R-Ky.) did not immediately comment on the first lady's request. Rep. Mace indicated she supports holding a hearing but has not yet spoken with Comer about scheduling one, leaving the timing uncertain. Democrats on the committee had previously planned to hold a shadow hearing with victims, though details on that proceeding remain limited.