First Lady Melania Trump has addressed her alleged link to convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, denying any knowledge of his abuse or that she was a victim.
In a rare White House statement, Melania, 55, said she had met her husband Donald Trump independently two years prior to meeting Epstein and that Epstein did not introduce them.
Her top advisor, Marc Beckman, weighed in on the timing of the statement, saying it was time for the public to focus on Melania's achievements as First Lady.
Beckman emphasized that Melania deserves respect for her work in helping people and driving positive change in the country, rather than being distracted by 'lies and innuendos' about her relationship with Epstein.
Melania's statement also addressed a resurfaced 2002 email with Ghislaine Maxwell, with the First Lady saying it was casual correspondence and not a relationship.
