STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
We do not know exactly why first lady Melania Trump spoke out yesterday, but she certainly did. She denied ever having a relationship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and with his co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell. She also slammed reports and online rumors that she said connected her to Epstein.
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MELANIA TRUMP: The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today.
INSKEEP: Months ago, the Justice Department released some, but not all, files related to Epstein and Maxwell. And personal correspondence in those files mentions Melania and her husband, President Trump. NPR's Saige Miller has more.
SAIGE MILLER, BYLINE: For a first lady known for her mystique, it was a surprising moment to see her deliver a forceful answer to a question no one seemed to have asked.
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TRUMP: I am not Epstein's victim. Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump.
MILLER: The first lady added she never traveled on his private jet or visited his island. Both Trumps have denied any wrongdoing or knowledge of Epstein's alleged crimes. The first lady also addressed an email she sent Maxwell that was released by the Justice Department.
TRUMP: My email reply to Maxwell cannot be categorized as anything more than casual correspondence.
MILLER: She stressed that fake images and statements of her and Epstein have been circulating for years. She cautioned people to not believe everything they see. Trump ended her statement by calling on Congress to let victims of Epstein testify.
TRUMP: Each and every woman should have her day to tell her story in public if she wishes.
MILLER: It's unclear why the first lady decided to speak out now, but some Democrats in Congress have called on her to testify as part of the House Oversight's investigation into Epstein.
Saige Miller, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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