Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), a Ranking Oversight Committee member, criticized first lady Melania Trump’s unexpected press event on Thursday. During this event, she attempted to distance herself from convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Garcia suggested actions she could take to assist in the ongoing investigation.
Speaking on MS Now on Saturday, Garcia remarked, “I think the first lady just clearly created distance between the position of her husband and his administration and herself. If Melania Trump actually wants to help in this investigation, she can look at her husband and tell him to release all the rest of the Epstein files, she could ensure that Pam Bondi actually testifies.”
Mixed reactions followed the first lady’s sudden announcement on Thursday. She called for a congressional hearing for Epstein’s victims and addressed rumors about her connections to the convicted sex offender and his jailed associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.
Although Trump attempted to distance herself from Epstein’s circle, Garcia expressed skepticism, suggesting the facts do not support her claims. He referenced a 2002 email exchange between Trump (then Knauss) and Maxwell, which was made public this year, showing a more amicable relationship.
Garcia remarked, “There’s certainly a lot more questions. Now we’re all kind of wondering, ‘What, why did she do this? I mean, is she actually trying to preempt information coming out? So we’re looking at this right now.”
Several survivors criticized the first lady’s remarks, accusing her of “shifting the burden onto survivors under politicized conditions that protect those with power.”
“I’m glad she created, I think, an opportunity for folks to talk about this more, because her husband is trying to sweep this away, but at the end of the day, the files need to be released, and that’s where the first lady can help,” Garcia said.
The California Democrat described the press event as “really bizarre,” highlighting how the first lady’s husband, President Donald Trump, previously dismissed the scandal as a “hoax.” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche had also indicated that the files “will not be a part of anything going forward” in the DOJ.
Garcia expressed his interest in hearing from the first lady, stating, “We’ve said it before. I’ll say it again. We absolutely would like to talk to the first lady, if she has information, anyone has information about Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell and their horrific crimes against women and children. We want to hear from them.”
