First Lady Melania Trump is pulling out what critics are calling a desperate new legal move as a bombshell lawsuit threatens to drag her deeper into the Jeffrey Epstein controversy. Author Michael Wolff revealed on the Inside Trump’s Head podcast that Melania has hired a powerful new legal team in an apparent effort to shield herself from his lawsuit, which could eventually allow him to question her under oath about her and Donald Trump’s ties to Epstein.
Wolff filed the suit after Melania threatened to sue him for $1 billion. Using New York’s anti-SLAPP laws, designed to protect free speech and journalists, the case gives Wolff subpoena power once she is officially served. But serving Melania has proven difficult. Wolff said one process-serving firm flat-out refused to take the job, while another failed to locate her. Despite attempts to serve her through her Florida-based lawyer and at Trump Tower, the lawsuit remains undelivered.
Is anyone surprised? Remember, Melania threatened a $1 billion lawsuit against Michael Wolff because of his claims that she met Trump through Epstein. However, once Wolff counter sued, we haven’t heard a word about Melania’s lawsuit! That’s because of the discovery process! pic.twitter.com/1rZM3xcHSF
— Annie (@AnnieForTruth) December 14, 2025
Now, Wolff says, Melania has changed tactics. She has hired DLA Piper, the third-largest law firm in the world, and is attempting to move the case into federal court, a maneuver Wolff claims is meant to stall proceedings. The firm’s involvement includes Josh Halpern, a former Supreme Court clerk to Justice Neil Gorsuch.
“This is what Trump always does,” Wolff told co-host Joanna Coles. “Hires some new firm, asks questions later.” Court filings still list her original lawyer, Alejandro Brito of Coral Gables, Florida, but now show Halpern listed as “of counsel.” Wolff believes the shift signals growing anxiety within Trump’s inner circle. On his Substack, HOWL, Wolff wrote that the move forced Melania “out in the open.”
“The immediate cause of this shift of law firms, and the attempt to move to federal court, may be that, after seeming to duck service of our suit (you’re served!) at her logical points of contact—through her lawyer in Coral Gables, and at her residence in Trump Tower—we filed a Motion for Alternative Service early this week in court,” he explained.
🚨HOLY SHIT: Biographer Michael Wolff says Melania threatened to sue him for a BILLION dollars over claims about her and Epstein…
But he HIT BACK!
He has filed for declaratory judgment – which allows him to ask her and Trump about Epstein UNDER OATH!!pic.twitter.com/xIOxiEgorr
— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) October 23, 2025
Additional lawyers could mean Melania is worried about what subpoena power might unleash. “She cannot let this happen,” Wolff said. “So she will either—I mean, her options are to run out the clock on this, which they will certainly try to do. They will [use] every delay tactic.” Coles pointed out that delay strategies only go so far.
“Eventually, the clock runs out,” she said. Wolff hinted that a settlement could be possible, but only under extreme terms. “What if they were to say that they would enter into covenants never again to sue any media organization for libel?” he asked. “Possibly, yes.” Trump’s legal team fired back, calling Wolff “a serial liar.” The White House referred questions to her attorneys, while spokesman Steven Cheung dismissed Wolff as “a lying sack of s–t.”
