yahoo news | Melania shredded over focus on Epstein victims rather than 'men doing the...

Melania Trump sparked a fresh controversy on Saturday after she called on Congress to hold a public hearing for survivors of the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, allowing them to testify about their experiences. In an op‑ed published in The New York Times, veteran columnist Maureen Dowd noted that the first lady’s appeal was “to provide the women who have been victimized by Epstein with a public hearing specifically centered around the survivors” and questioned why the men accused of the crimes had not been summoned to answer for themselves. Dowd argued that the focus on the victims, rather than on Epstein’s possible accomplices, was a strategic distraction that “yanked America’s eyeballs back to Jeffrey Epstein.”

Dowd’s criticism went further, describing Melania’s unexpected appearance in the West Wing as a “Slovenian Sphinx” who “dumped kerosene on the flickering Epstein fire,” suggesting the first lady’s dramatic entrance was intended to force attention on matters her husband, President Donald Trump, would rather keep hidden. According to reports, even senior members of the Trump administration and President Trump himself were unaware of the statement before it was released, with the president telling MS NOW’s Jacqueline Alemany that he “didn’t know anything about” his wife’s remarks. Dowd’s piece implied that the move was less about supporting survivors and more about drawing public scrutiny toward the former president’s own connections to the scandal.

The controversy also revived interest in a 2002 email found in the Justice Department’s recent release of Epstein files, sent from a sender identified only as “Melania” to “G. Max,” believed to be Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell. In her statement, Melania described the correspondence as a “casual” exchange, but the revelation has renewed speculation about her possible involvement or awareness of Epstein’s network. As the debate over the hearing and its political repercussions continues, the episode underscores the lingering tension surrounding the Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein case.

Read more: https://www.rawstory.com/melania-trump-2676702373/

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