By
Ava Berger
,
Jaclyn Diaz
First lady Melania Trump delivers a statement at the Grand Foyer of the White House on April 9, 2026 in Washington, D.C.Alex Wong/Getty Imageshide caption
After a surprisepublic statement from first ladyMelania Trump denying that she had meaningful ties to Jeffrey Epstein and calling for a congressional hearing, survivors of the late sex offender's abuse have voiced mixed opinions on the statement.
At the White House on Thursday, Trump said that she was not a victim of Epstein, that she did not know of his crimes, and that he did not introduce her to President Trump. She went on to call Congress to take further action.
"Epstein was not alone," she said. "I call on Congress to provide the women who have been victimized by Epstein with a public hearing specifically centered around the survivors. Give these victims their opportunity to testify under oath in front of Congress."
In a statement to NPR, the Department of Justice said: "As we have always stated, we encourage any victims of Jeffrey Epstein — who wish to speak — to contact the FBI. Any survivor who has information on an abuser is encouraged to contact federal law enforcement."
Later on Thursday, a group of 15 survivors of Epstein's abuse released a statement saying that the first lady is now "shifting the burden" onto survivors to protect people with power, including the Department of Justice, law enforcement, prosecutors and the Trump administration.
"Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein have already shown extraordinary courage by coming forward, filing reports, and giving testimony," the statement read. "Asking more of them now is a deflection of responsibility, not justice."
The White House did not immediately respond to NPR's questions on whether they had a response to some survivors' criticisms or why the first lady was speaking out now.
Among the survivors who signed the statement was Marina Lacerda, who was identified in a 2019 indictment against Epstein as Minor-Victim 1. She alsoposted a video on Instagram shortlyafter the first lady's press conference questioning whether a hearing would produce anything meaningful.
"You want to retraumatize us and ask us to go in front of Congress and tell them our story, which we have told some of them already," Lacerda said. "And then do absolutely nothing."
In a separate statement, sisters Maria andAnnie Farmer, who both have said they were abused by Epstein, said they want "accountability, transparency, and justice."
