First Lady Melania Trump seems to be following in the footsteps of President Donald Trump when it comes to deflecting journalists’ questions related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The interaction took place in the Oval Office, after the Department of Justice released more than 3 million pages of investigations related to the disgraced financier last week—many of which mention Donald Trump.
Highlights
- Melania Trump deflected questions about Ghislaine Maxwell during an Oval Office press interaction, echoing President Trump's approach to Epstein inquiries.
- Maxwell, serving 20 years for sex trafficking, was quietly moved to a minimum-security prison amid allegations of special treatment behind bars.
- A whistleblower claims Maxwell receives customized meals and early recreation access, sparking calls to transfer her to a high-security facility.
Melania Trump was asked a question related to Epstein’s accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, at the White House on Wednesday.
Melania Trump deflected a journalist’s question related to Ghislaine Maxwell
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Trump spoke with reporters after meeting with American-Israeli Keith Siegel and his wife, Aviva, who was freed from Hamas captivity after the U.S.-negotiated ceasefire.
During a short round of press questions, CNN’s Betsy Klein mentioned recent public demand to move Maxwell into a high-security prison. Maxwell is serving 20 years in prison for enticement of minors and sex trafficking of underage girls.
“There's a call from many Epstein survivors that Ghislaine Maxwell move to a high security prison. Do you know why that happened?” Klein asked Trump.
“We are here celebrating the release and the life of these two incredible people. So let’s honor that, thank you,” Trump said, quickly dismissing the question.
In August last year, Maxwell was quietly transferred to a minimum‑security prison camp in Texas. The prison, which houses inmates for white-collar crimes and minor offenses, has dorm‑style housing with little fencing and few guards.
Demands for Maxwell’s relocation come months after a whistleblower claimed that Maxwell had been receiving special treatment behind bars. Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee alleged in a press release that prison staff are waiting on her “hand and foot.”
Image credits: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media via Getty Images
The whistleblower said Maxwell receives meals that are “customized and prepared by federal prison camp staff and then personally delivered to her in her cell by longtime federal employees.”
Maxwell is also allegedly allowed to go to recreation areas after hours, and her visitors are given access to a “special cordoned off area for visitors to arrive, as well as an assortment of snacks and refreshments for her guests.”
The whistleblower added that during one incident, an inmate who trains puppies was ordered to give Maxwell a puppy for a period of time so that she could “play with the puppy, even though neither inmates nor staff are ordinarily allowed to pet the service dogs in training.”
The reporter asked a question about recent calls to move Maxwell to a high-security prison
Last year, NBC News reported that Maxwell was seeking a pardon from President Donald Trump. In October, Trump said he would “take a look at it.”
Maxwell’s transfer had come just a week after she sat for a nine‑hour interview with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, leading many to speculate that Maxwell could be negotiating a deal with the government.
The White House claimed she was moved because of death threats she received at her previous prison.
Image credits: Joe Schildhorn/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
While Maxwell is the only one serving time for the sex crimes, numerous powerful figures were named in connection with Epstein in DOJ-released files. Among them was an email sent to Maxwell by the first lady.
In the email, Melania complimented Maxwell on a New York Magazine article about Epstein, and signed it with “Love Melania.” The two, along with Epstein and Donald Trump, were photographed at a 2000 Mar-a-Lago event.
The exchange also comes as Trump has been promoting her new documentary Melania, about her life in the lead-up to her return to the White House. The Siegels are both featured in the documentary, which premiered at the Kennedy Center last week.
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When reporters asked if she was using the meeting with the Siegels to promote her new movie, Melania said the meeting had “nothing to do with promotion.”
Just a day before the first lady’s interaction with CNN, Donald Trump had berated the news organization’s journalist, Kaitlan Collins. Collins, who Trump previously called “stupid” and “nasty,” asked the president about some of his allies, specifically Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, being named in the Epstein files.
“You mentioned two names. I’m sure they’re fine, otherwise there would have been major headlines,” Trump responded to Collins, before launching into a rant about CNN as a media organization, and about Collins not smiling enough.
Trump recently berated a journalist over questions on Epstein
“I think it’s really time for the country to get on to something else,” Trump said. “Now that nothing came out about me, other than there was a conspiracy against me.”
He then said, “You are so bad. You are the worst reporter. No wonder CNN has no ratings because of people like you.”
“You know, she’s a young woman. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile. I’ve known you for 10 years. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a smile on your face,” Trump continued.