President Donald Trump has advised First Lady Melania Trump to proceed with legal action against Hunter Biden following his claims that Jeffrey Epstein played a role in introducing the former president and first lady.
Melania Trump is reportedly contemplating a $1 billion lawsuit against Biden due to statements he made linking her to Epstein. The controversy began when Biden appeared on a YouTube program on August 5, 2025, alleging that Epstein introduced the Trumps.
President Trump confirmed on Thursday that he supports his wife’s potential legal action. “Well, I said go forward. I’ve done pretty well in these lawsuits lately,” he told Fox News Radio’s Brian Kilmeade.
The president denied any role Epstein may have had in his relationship with Melania, stating that such stories are fabricated to damage his family’s reputation. He also offered his legal team’s assistance for Melania’s case.
Melania Trump’s attorney issued a cease-and-desist letter to Hunter Biden on August 6, demanding a retraction and apology for his statements, which were described as false and harmful to the first lady’s reputation.
During a YouTube interview on August 5, 2025, with journalist Andrew Callaghan, Biden claimed that “Epstein introduced Melania to Trump” and referenced journalist Michael Wolff as his source.
Melania Trump’s legal representative, Alejandro Brito, gave Biden until August 7 to comply with their demands. Sources informed Fox News that instead of complying, Biden leaked the letter to the press.
When given another opportunity to apologize during a subsequent interview, Biden refused. Asked if he would apologize to Melania Trump, he stated, “**** that. That’s not going to happen.”
Biden maintains his stance and challenged the Trumps to address questions under oath regarding their connections to Epstein, suggesting he would facilitate a platform for their depositions.
The Trumps have consistently asserted they met through modeling agent Paolo Zampolli at a New York Fashion Week event in 1998. Melania Trump recounted this meeting in her memoir, detailing their first encounter at the Kit Kat Club while Donald Trump was with another date.
An article based on Wolff’s claims was published by The Daily Beast, but was quickly retracted after receiving a legal notice from Melania Trump’s legal team. The publication later issued an apology for any ensuing confusion. Democratic strategist James Carville also issued an apology and removed related content from his podcast.
Legal experts are divided on the potential success of such a lawsuit. Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told Newsweek that Melania Trump could have a strong case if the statements are proven false, but she would need to demonstrate Biden’s knowledge of their falsity or reckless disregard for the truth.
Conversely, former prosecutor Shanlon Wu believes the case could be challenging to win, citing the difficulty public figures face in proving defamation, especially when the claims stem from previously published sources.
This controversy arises amid criticism of the Trump administration’s handling of Jeffrey Epstein documents. The Justice Department recently announced it would not release additional records related to Epstein, despite earlier pledges to make the files public.
Epstein was deemed to have died by suicide in a federal jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, though the findings have been contested. Trump and Epstein were known to be friends for several years before a falling out in the early 2000s.
Hunter Biden, familiar with legal disputes, was recently pardoned by his father for federal convictions. He has also pursued legal action against individuals allegedly misusing information from his laptop.
A spokesperson for the first lady indicated that her legal team is seeking retractions from those spreading false information, emphasizing that the true account of how the Trumps met is outlined in Melania’s memoir.
Biden cited a 2019 New York Times report by journalists Annie Karni and Maggie Haberman, noting sources who claimed Epstein said he introduced the couple.
It remains uncertain whether Melania Trump will proceed with the billion-dollar lawsuit, with legal experts noting the potential for the case to test the boundaries of defamation law and attract significant attention for both parties involved.
