First Lady Melania Trump denies relationship with Jeffrey Epstein
First lady Melania Trump has denied any relationship with Jeffrey Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell.
WASHINGTON – When Melania Trump entered the Cross Hall of the White House to deliver a statement denying her relationship with the late convicted Jeffrey Epstein and denouncing “fake images” of herself, she wore a gray double-breasted Prada skirt suit.
It was the same outfit she wore during an event in the Rose Garden last May when she co-signed the Take It Down Act, a law aimed at protecting victims of deepfakes and revenge porn. (The first lady’s office confirmed to USA TODAY that it was the same suit.)
The implicit message from this intentional dresser? It was a reminder of the day she co-signed the legislation she spearheaded to stop online harassment and intimidation.
On April 9, the first lady took to the podium and demanded an immediate end to the “lies” linking her to Epstein.
“Many false images and statements about Epstein and me have been circulating on social media for years,” she said. “Be careful what you believe. These images and stories are completely false.”
She went on to characterize her social interactions with Epstein. She said they belonged to “overlapping social circles” and, in a stunning statement lasting just under six minutes, declared that she was not a “victim of Epstein.”
If her choice of clothing was meant to convey a message, she may not be a victim of Epstein, but she is clearly a victim of social media.
Former models’ fashion choices are often highly scrutinized and considered iconic, sparking conversations online.
Case in point: A $39 green Zara jacket that read “You really don’t care, do you?” printed on the back of the jacket he wore during a visit to a migrant children detention center in Texas in June 2018 caused an uproar. And she wore a fuchsia ribboned blouse to the second presidential debate in 2016, leading to speculation that it was a reference to a recently leaked tape containing lewd comments by her husband.
Her movie Melania, released earlier this year, further reinforced the idea that she is meticulous about her fashion choices and public image.
“Artificial intelligence and social media are the next generation of digital candy, sweet and addictive, designed to influence the development of children’s connections,” she said at the signing of the Take It Down Act. “But unlike sugar, these new technologies can be weaponized to form beliefs, which sadly can affect emotions and even be deadly.”
Earlier this week, less than a year after the Take It Down Act was passed, a Columbus, Ohio, man pleaded guilty to cyber crimes involving real and AI-generated sexually explicit images and threats of violence against multiple victims.
“Today, the first conviction was handed down under the Take It Down Act, which protects victims from AI-generated non-consensual sexually explicit images, cyberstalking, and threats of violence,” the first lady wrote to X.
Three days later, she claimed to be someone who knows what it’s like to be the victim of a smear campaign.
“My attorneys and I have successfully fought these baseless lies and will continue to maintain my sound reputation without hesitation,” she said.
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy is USA TODAY’s White House correspondent. You can follow her at X @SwapnaVenugopal..
