WASHINGTON (AP) — First LadyMelania Trump demanded that Hunter Bidenremove comments that connect her to a sex traffickerJeffrey Epsteinand warned that legal action would be taken if he does not.
Trump disagrees with two statements made by Biden, the son of former President Joe Biden, during an interview this month with American journalist Andrew Callaghan. He claimed that Epstein introduced the first lady to current President Donald Trump.
The claims are false, harmful, and "extremely explicit," wrote Melania Trump's attorney, Alejandro Brito, in a letter to Biden. Biden's comments were widely shared on social media and covered by news organizations globally, resulting in the first lady "suffering significant financial and reputational damage," he stated.
Biden expressed the Epstein remarks during an extensive interview in which helashed outtargeting "elites" and other members of the Democratic Party, he claims they sabotaged his father prior to his withdrawal from last year's presidential race.
"Epstein introduced Melania to Trump. The connections are, like, really extensive and deep," Biden said in one of the comments that Trump challenges. Biden credited the statement to author Michael Wolff, whom TrumpdisparagedIn June, he referred to him as a "Third Rate Reporter." He has accused Wolff of fabricating stories to promote his books.
The first lady's warnings mirror a common approach used by her husband, who has vigorously employed legal action against those who criticize him. High-profile individuals such as the Trumps must meet a significant standard to win a defamation case.
The president and first lady have consistently claimed that they met through Paolo Zampolli, a modeling agent, at a gathering during New York Fashion Week in 1998.
The correspondence is dated August 6 and wasfirst reportedWednesday from Fox News Digital.
Abbe Lowell, a legal representative who has defended Biden in his criminal cases and is the recipient of Brito's letter, did not promptly reply to a request for commentary late Wednesday.
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The story was initially released on August 13, 2025. It was revised on August 14, 2025, to fix the nationality of journalist Andrew Callaghan. He is American, not British.