“The lies linking me to the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today,” he read from a prepared statement at a White House address.
“The individuals lying about me are devoid of moral standards, humility, and honor. I do not object to their ignorance, but I do reject their mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation.” He said.
Melania Trump said that she came in contact with Epstein only because of his social circle.
She said, “I was never friends with Epstein. Donald and I were invited to the same parties as Epstein from time to time, because overlapping social circles are common in New York City.”
She also denied having any relationship with Epstein’s partner Ghislaine Maxwell.
“To be clear, I never had any association with Epstein or his partner Maxwell.”
Donald Trump has said that his relationship with Epstein ended in the mid-2000s and that he had no knowledge of any wrongdoing.
Epstein was convicted in 2008 of having sex with a minor and died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, which was ruled a suicide.
The late financier’s ties to prominent figures in the United States and other countries such as Norway and the United Kingdom have caused an increase in controversy after new details about his dealings emerged in documents released in November and January last year.
On April 1, Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi after she faced criticism over her handling of the documents, known as the “Epstein files”.
In March, former President Bill Clinton denied any knowledge of Epstein’s sexual crimes in comments made before a congressional committee.
This is a developing news story. Please refresh the page for updates.
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