Epstein survivors have mixed feelings on Melania Trump's call for hearing in Congress

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 Images

Following a shockwave-inducing public statement from First Lady Melania Trump—firmly denying any meaningful ties to Jeffrey Epstein and dramatically calling for a congressional hearing—survivors of the late sex offender’s abuse have responded with deeply divided reactions.

Speaking from the White House on Thursday, Trump declared she was not a victim of Epstein, had no knowledge of his crimes, and was never introduced to President Donald Trump by him. She then escalated the moment by urging Congress to take decisive action.

“Epstein was not alone,” she stated. “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 reaffirmed: “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 that same day, a coalition of 15 Epstein survivors fired back with a powerful statement, accusing the first lady of “shifting the burden” onto victims in order to shield powerful institutions—including the Department of Justice, law enforcement, prosecutors, and the Trump administration itself.

“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 inquiries regarding the backlash or clarify why the first lady chose this moment to speak out.

Among the survivors who signed the statement was Marina Lacerda, identified in a 2019 indictment against Epstein as Minor-Victim 1. Shortly after the press conference, she posted a video on Instagram openly questioning whether such a hearing would produce any real results.

“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 response, sisters Maria and Annie Farmer—both of whom have said they were abused by Epstein—called for “accountability, transparency, and justice.”

“If the federal government is truly committed to supporting survivors, it would ask us what we want and should follow the facts wherever they may lead,” their statement said.

Yet not all voices were critical. Alicia Arden, who says Epstein assaulted her in a hotel when she was a young model, told NPR she is ready—and willing—to testify. She also described Melania Trump’s statement as courageous.

“I’m willing to testify before Congress about what Jeffrey Epstein did to me and how I was attacked in the room,” Arden said.

The Justice Department has released millions of pages of documents tied to Epstein—detailing his personal life, connections, crimes, and inner circle. Within those files are multiple references to President Trump. However, an NPR investigation in February revealed that certain documents mentioning the president were initially withheld before some were later made public. To date, Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell remain the only individuals in the files to face criminal charges, despite numerous high-profile names being referenced.

Arden emphasized that “everything has always needed to come out” regarding the files, insisting the public deserves continued access to the truth. She added that whether other survivors choose to testify should remain entirely their decision.

“If they feel like it’s a burden to them, then they don’t have to,” Arden said. “I don’t feel like it’s a burden on me. It helps me to keep talking about it.”

Arden filed a police report before Epstein was indicted in 2006—a decision she now views as both terrifying and transformative.

“I was so scared, and I’m really happy that I did it because everyone’s happy that I did it now because it’s on file,” Arden said. “The other victims that didn’t get to do it, I did it for them.”

“I hope that we get to testify before Congress,” she added. “If Melania would like to be with us, I think that would be nice and helpful if we were… testifying next to her.”