Epstein survivors Maria Farmer and Annie Farmer stated that First Lady Melania Trump’s unexpected public comments about Jeffrey Epstein were not a genuine call for justice but an effort to divert attention from the government’s management of unreleased case files and protections for survivors.
Their statement came shortly after Melania Trump used a White House event to deny any link to Epstein and urged Congress to allow public testimony from victims.
The Farmers’ response, reported by The Daily Beast, did not mention Melania Trump by name in reference to the administration.
Instead, it criticized what the sisters called a familiar pattern in the federal response to the Epstein case. “We can’t speak for other survivors, but what we want is accountability, transparency, and justice,” the statement said.
This is gobsmacking. Not only did Melania Trump suddenly decide to give a televised address about Jeffrey Epstein, she’s calling on Congress to “act,” because Epstein was “not alone.” So she just threw a giant stick of political dynamite on the issue her husband despises! pic.twitter.com/DUi2qAupoZ
— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) April 9, 2026
It noted that the federal government had “long mismanaged the Epstein investigation” by ignoring survivors, violating their privacy, and refusing to release all remaining Justice Department records, including Maria Farmer’s complete FBI file from 1996.
The most pointed line in the statement addressed the timing of Melania Trump’s comments directly. “Asking more of them now is a deflection of responsibility, not justice,” the survivors said.
They added that the first lady was “shifting the burden onto survivors under politicized conditions that protect those with power,” while the Trump administration had yet to fully comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
This response followed an unusual appearance by Melania Trump on Thursday from the White House, where she denied claims of any significant relationship with Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell.
Reading from a prepared statement, she said, “I have never had any knowledge of Epstein’s abuse of his victims. I was never involved in any capacity, I was not a participant, was never on Epstein’s plane, and never visited his private island.”
She also stated, “The false smears about me from mean-spirited and politically motivated individuals and entities looking to cause damage to my good name to gain financially and climb politically must stop.”
Melania Trump senior adviser Marc Beckman: “She cleared her record. She eradicated all the lies, all of the innuendos, and she showed everybody that she’s got a clean slate once and for all and that she’s gonna fight it. She also became the champion for these women, for the… pic.twitter.com/vWp9AmWDlL
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 10, 2026
Melania Trump also attempted to shift the focus to survivor testimony. “Now is the time for Congress to act,” she said. “I call on Congress to provide the women who have been victimized by Epstein with a public hearing specifically centered around the survivors.” She argued that those women should be allowed to testify under oath and have their testimony added to the congressional record.
The Farmers emphasized that survivors have already taken that step. Their statement highlighted that survivors had “shown extraordinary courage” by coming forward, filing criminal reports, and testifying in court.
They also claimed that Melania Trump’s comments distracted from former Attorney General Pam Bondi, who they said still needs to answer questions about withheld files and the exposure of survivors’ identities. “Survivors have done their part. Now it’s time for those in power to do theirs,” the statement concluded.
This clash underscored a growing divide in how the Epstein case is being discussed within Trump’s circle. President Donald Trump has previously dismissed the Epstein files issue as a “Democrat hoax,” while Melania Trump called for public testimony from victims, although she stopped short of demanding the release of all remaining files.
