President Donald Trump has urged his wife, Melania Trump, to pursue legal action against Hunter Biden following claims about their introduction by Jeffrey Epstein.
The first lady is contemplating a $1 billion lawsuit against Hunter Biden for remarks suggesting her association with Epstein. This dispute began after Biden mentioned on a YouTube show on August 5, 2025, that Epstein was responsible for introducing the Trumps.
On Thursday, President Trump confirmed he supported Melania’s legal action, stating, “Well, I said go forward. I’ve done pretty well in these lawsuits lately,” during an interview with Fox News Radio’s Brian Kilmeade.
The president dismissed claims of Epstein’s involvement in his relationship with Melania, asserting that such stories are fabricated to tarnish his family’s reputation. He also offered his legal team’s support to Melania for the case.
Melania Trump’s lawyer issued a cease-and-desist letter to Hunter Biden on August 6, demanding a retraction and apology. The letter described Biden’s remarks as false and damaging to her reputation.
During the YouTube interview with journalist Andrew Callaghan on August 5, 2025, Hunter Biden claimed “Epstein introduced Melania to Trump” and noted “the connections are, like, so wide and deep.” He attributed this information to journalist Michael Wolff, known for his books on the Trump family.
Melania’s attorney, Alejandro Brito, gave Biden until August 7 to respond. When the deadline passed without a response, sources informed Fox News that Biden had leaked the letter to the media.
In a subsequent interview on Thursday, Hunter Biden refused to apologize, stating, “**** that. That’s not going to happen.”
Biden maintained his stance and challenged the Trumps to testify under oath about their relationship with Epstein, expressing willingness to host them for depositions.
The Trumps have maintained that they met through modeling agent Paolo Zampolli at a 1998 New York Fashion Week party. Melania documented this encounter in her memoir, noting Donald Trump was on a date with another woman at the time.
The Daily Beast initially published an article based on Wolff’s claims but retracted it following a legal notice from Melania’s team, issuing an apology for any confusion. Political strategist James Carville also apologized and removed related content from his podcast.
Experts are divided on the potential success of the lawsuit. Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told Newsweek that Melania could have a strong case if Biden’s statements are proven false, but she would need to demonstrate that Biden either knew they were false or acted with reckless disregard.
Another former prosecutor, Shanlon Wu, believes the case would be challenging to win, noting the difficulty public figures face in proving defamation, especially when statements originate from published sources.
This controversy arises amid criticism of the Trump administration over its handling of Jeffrey Epstein documents. The Justice Department recently announced it would not release further records related to Epstein, despite previous commitments to transparency.
Epstein was found to have died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, but these findings have been disputed. Trump and Epstein were close associates for several years before their relationship soured in the early 2000s.
A spokesperson for Melania Trump stated that her legal team is actively seeking retractions from those disseminating false information. They emphasized that Melania’s memoir provides the authentic account of how she met Donald Trump.
Biden referenced a 2019 New York Times report by journalists Annie Carney and Maggie Haberman, indicating that sources claimed Epstein said he introduced the Trumps.
Whether Melania Trump will proceed with the billion-dollar lawsuit remains uncertain. Legal experts suggest such a case would explore the boundaries of defamation law and could draw considerable attention for both parties involved.