A rare media event with Melania Trump was abruptly ended after she was confronted about Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking crimes and quizzed about using the White House to promote her documentary.
On Tuesday, the elusive First Lady welcomed freed Israeli American hostage Keith Siegel to Washington for a sit-down conversation, along with his wife Aviva Siegel.
But things took an unfortunate turn when reporters took the opportunity to ask questions, setting their sights on the first lady’s box office debut and Epstein’s accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is now serving a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted for abusing young girls.
Aviva Siegel met with Melania Trump in January 2025—an event that was documented in the first lady’s self-titled documentary.
In the film, Melania comforts Aviva when she breaks down in tears. At the end of the documentary, a series of title cards lists her accomplishments as first lady, including: “Melania Trump played a key role in securing the release of Keith Siegel after 484 days as a hostage in Gaza, just 12 days after the inauguration.”
However, when asked by a reporter whether she felt it was appropriate to use an official White House event to promote her film, Melania, who had only moments earlier discussed the movie, was put on the defensive.
“It is not promotion,” she said. “We are here celebrating the release of the hostage; of Aviva and Keith. They were in Washington, DC, and they said they would like to come over to thank me and to give hugs. There’s nothing to do with promotion.”
A reporter then asked about the Epstein firestorm, which has been dogging her husband for most of his second term.
“There’s a call from Epstein survivors to have Ghislaine Maxwell moved to a high security prison. What do you want to happen,” the reporter asked, prompting staff to try to end the press conference immediately.
The first lady answered briefly as the media was being ushered out.
“We are here to celebrate the release and the life of these two incredible people,” she said. “Let’s honour that”.
The comments marked the first time Melania Trump has been quizzed about Maxwell since the Justice Department released more than 3.5 million Epstein files on Friday, partially overshadowing the release of her documentary.
The movie brought in just $8.1 million in its opening weekend despite Amazon’s $75 million investment, and the president has been at pains to promote it ever since.
But the Epstein files have long been a headache for the president, who has never been charged with any wrongdoing in relation to the sex offender but whose name is referenced thousands of times in the latest tranche of documents.
Among those references are uncorroborated FBI tips accusing him of sexual assault, as well as fresh ties to Epstein and Maxwell, and emails between the convicted child sex predator and his various associates which reference the president.
Melania Trump is also in the files, including a chummy 2002 email to Maxwell, signed “Love, Melania.”
“Dear G! How are you?” it starts. “Nice story about JE in NY mag. You look great in the picture.”
Director Brett Ratner, who made Melania’s documentary, also featured in the files cozying up to Epstein and an unidentified woman.
Asked about the photos this week by British pundit Piers Morgan, Ratner stumbled over his words as he sought to explain himself.
“Oh, well, that particular picture—that picture in particular—happened around 20 years ago. Nineteen, 20, 21 years ago, because that is a photograph of my fiancée who invited me to this event, and that’s where the picture was taken,” he said. “I had never been in contact with Jeffrey Epstein before that photo and I was never in contact with him after.”
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