President Donald Trump cited ‘fake news’ as the reason his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, issued a statement addressing rumors about Jeffrey Epstein. This comes as a result of his wife’s statement shutting down false rumors reportedly linking her with the late convicted felon, Jeffrey Epstein.
During his interaction with reporters outside the White House, Trump was asked about the reason and timing of his wife’s statement. A reporter pointed out Melania’s statement denying her link with Epstein.
Donald Trump initially asked, “Who did?” To which the reporter pointed out that it was his wife who made the statement. Trump immediately confirmed that she “had none.” The reporter went on to ask the reason behind her actions.
ICYMI: President Donald J. Trump speaks to reporters before heading to Nevada and Arizona pic.twitter.com/cEGvknOEpn
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 16, 2026
He responded by saying, “Because the fake news had said she did, and she had none…” Trump claimed that there were no proven links between his wife and Epstein.
Publicly released records have included photographs and references to Trump in Epstein-related materials, though no criminal charges have been filed against either Donald or Melania Trump in connection with Epstein. The MAGA leader continued to explain his wife’s feelings when this alleged “fake news” about her was being circulated.
Discussions about alleged connections have circulated on social media platforms such as Reddit and X. Many conspiracy theorists online have argued over her meeting with Trump through Epstein, while others allege she knew about his crimes. However, there’s currently no proof of either.
Hmmmm…. This was in 1999 and Melania was an escort working for Epstein while Trump was married to his 2nd wife Marla. pic.twitter.com/GiMiaBhs9L
— Morgan J. Freeman (@mjfree) April 11, 2026
Trump mentioned that the news was reportedly affecting his wife negatively. But he repeated the intent of her viral statement. The president said, “I think it bothered her that fake news was just being fake news. That’s all she wanted to clarify.”
The reporter did attempt to get the president to answer another question about whether or not the statement surprised him. However, before the individual could get a word in, Trump moved on to the question of another reporter.
So was Trump truly surprised, or was it a carefully planned event that went through his approval? From what the president mentioned, there’s a high possibility that he wasn’t surprised by it. This is especially considering that he shared her feelings and the reason for issuing the statement.
Reporter: “I just got off a call with Trump, who said he had no prior knowledge that Melania Trump would discuss Jeffrey Epstein in her remarks today. Before we hung up, Trump said that Melania didn’t know Jeffrey Epstein.” (2026) pic.twitter.com/iwVxbgW4Dw
— The Intellectualist (@highbrow_nobrow) April 10, 2026
In a recent phone interview with The New York Times, Trump claimed he knew she wanted to make a statement. But did not have the context of what it was about. Melania may have spoken to Trump about it, but whether or not he knew about the statement is still being speculated.
This speculation about whether or not Trump knew about the statement spread like wildfire on the internet. This eventually resulted in a response from Melania’s Former Chief of Staff, Stephanie Grisham, who weighed in on the rumors.
‘I call BS on our president saying he knew nothing about it.’ First lady Melania Trump’s former chief of staff Stephanie Grisham reacts to her Epstein statement and President Trump’s claim that he didn’t know anything about it. pic.twitter.com/Zo2AY9GHMy
— The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) April 9, 2026
In a conversation with CNN, Grisham claimed Trump might’ve had at least a “heads up” from his wife. While the previous chief of staff has shared her insights, Hayley Harrison, the current chief of staff, has not publicly responded to the claims.
The Trump administration and representatives of the First Lady continue to assert that neither Trump nor his wife is linked with Epstein. Melania Trump has not publicly commented on her husband’s statements linking her response to what he described as “fake news.”
