U.S. First Lady Melania: "I was not introduced to Trump by Epstein"

[Financial News] First Lady of the United States Melania Trump issued an unscheduled statement on the 9th (local time), flatly denying any involvement with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Noelle Marion Maxwell.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Melania Trump said in a live statement from the White House, "The lies that associate me with the disgraced Jeffrey Epstein must end today."
Previously, it had been confirmed that Melania Trump sent an email to Ghislaine Noelle Marion Maxwell in 2002, and Robert Hunter Biden, son of former U.S. President Joseph Robinette Biden Jr., had claimed that Epstein introduced Melania Trump to President Donald Trump.
In her statement, Melania Trump stressed, "My email reply to Maxwell was nothing more than a casual exchange of correspondence. My polite response to her email was just a trivial note."
She went on, "I am not a victim of Epstein. Epstein did not introduce me to Trump," adding, "I met my husband by chance at a party in New York City in 1998."
Melania Trump also noted, "In New York City and in Palm Beach, Florida, it was common for social circles to overlap, so Donald and I were sometimes invited to the same parties as Epstein."
She stated, "To be clear, I have never had any kind of relationship with Epstein or his accomplice Maxwell," and added, "The first time I ever encountered Epstein was at an event I attended with Donald in 2000. Before that, I had never met him and had no knowledge whatsoever of his criminal behavior."
Melania Trump continued, "For years, countless fake photos and statements about Epstein and me have circulated on social media. These images and stories are completely false," explaining that her name has never appeared in any Epstein-related court documents, depositions, victim statements, or Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) records.
She then urged, "The malicious, politically motivated smears by individuals and groups seeking to damage my reputation for financial gain and political advantage must stop."
Addressing Congress, Melania Trump emphasized, "For the women harmed by Epstein, I call for a public, survivor-centered hearing."
The Associated Press (AP) described Melania Trump's statement as an "out-of-the-blue message" that "surprised not only the White House but also official Washington, D.C." It added that the statement came "just as it appeared that President Trump and his administration had finally managed to move past the Epstein controversy that had dominated attention for weeks."
hsg@fnnews.com Han Seung-gon Reporter