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By Kate Plummer
Senior US News Reporter
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An email that Melania Trump reportedly sent to Ghislaine Maxwell in 2002 has reemerged after the first lady denied having a relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
Trump's correspondence to Maxwell, the imprisoned accomplice of Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender who died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting sex trafficking charges, resurfaced on social media after Trump gave a statement in which she said any reports linking her to Epstein were "completely false."
Melania Trump has not been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with the Epstein investigation.
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Newsweek reached out to the White House by email to comment on this story outside of normal business hours.
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The Context
An email dated 2002, with the sender’s and recipient’s names redacted, was released by the Justice Department as part of the Epstein files this year. It said: "Dear G!" and ended: "Love, Melania." The email read in part: "I know you are very busy flying all over the world. How was Palm Beach? I cannot wait to go down. Give me a call when you are back in NY."
Maxwell allegedly responded: "Sweet pea - thanks for your message. Actually plans changed again and I am now on my way back to NY. I leave again on Fri so I still do not think I have time to see you sadly. I will try and call though."
During her statement, delivered at the White House, Trump referenced these emails.
"My polite reply to her email doesn’t amount to anything more than a trivial note," Trump said during her Thursday statement.
What To Know
An MS Now report about the email was shared on X and, at the time of writing, has been viewed over 32,800 times.
Another post from an account called FactPost posted the email and wrote: "Here is an email from the Epstein Files showing Melania Trump praising Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell."
The email was also referenced on a Sky News report and clips of this report have also circulated online.
During her statement, Trump said she merely overlapped with Epstein and Maxwell in social circles in New York and Florida.
She also called on Congress to hold a public hearing focused on survivors of Epstein’s crimes, urging lawmakers to allow victims to testify and have their accounts entered into the public record.
"Each and every woman should have her day to tell her story in public if she wishes," she said. "Then, and only then, we will have the truth."
What People Are Saying
Melania Trump said during her White House statement: "The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today. The individuals lying about me are devoid of ethical standards, humility and respect. I do not object to their ignorance, but rather I reject their mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation."
What Happens Next
Scrutiny about Epstein's ties to powerful individuals continues.
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