President Donald Trump has advised his wife, Melania Trump, to pursue legal action against Hunter Biden. This follows claims made by Biden that Jeffrey Epstein was responsible for introducing the former president and first lady.
First Lady Melania Trump is contemplating a $1 billion lawsuit against Hunter Biden over statements linking her to the convicted sex offender. The disagreement began when Biden appeared on a YouTube show on August 5, 2025, asserting that Epstein facilitated the meeting between the Trumps.
President Trump confirmed his support for Melania’s potential legal action, telling Fox News Radio’s Brian Kilmeade, “Well, I said go forward. I’ve done pretty well in these lawsuits lately.”
The president refuted any involvement of Epstein in his meeting with Melania, suggesting that such claims are fabricated to damage his family’s image. He also offered his legal team’s assistance for Melania’s case.
On August 6, Melania Trump’s attorney issued a cease-and-desist letter to Hunter Biden, demanding a retraction and apology for his statements, which were described as false and harmful to her reputation.
During the August 5 YouTube interview with journalist Andrew Callaghan, Hunter Biden claimed Epstein introduced Melania to Trump, citing information from journalist Michael Wolff, known for his books about the Trump family.
Melania Trump’s lawyer, Alejandro Brito, gave Biden a deadline of August 7 to comply with their demands. After the deadline passed without action, sources told Fox News that Biden leaked the letter to the press rather than responding legally.
In a subsequent interview, Hunter Biden declined to apologize to Melania Trump, saying, “**** that. That’s not going to happen.”
Biden maintains his stance on the comments and has challenged the Trumps to testify under oath regarding their association with Epstein, offering depositions as a platform for their narrative.
The Trumps have consistently stated that they met through modeling agent Paolo Zampolli at a New York, New York, Fashion Week party in 1998. Melania Trump recounted this meeting in her memoir, noting that Donald Trump was accompanied by another woman at the Kit Kat Club.
The Daily Beast published an article based on Wolff’s claims but retracted it following a legal notice from Melania Trump’s team, subsequently issuing an apology. Democratic strategist James Carville also issued an apology and removed related content from his podcast.
Legal experts are divided on the potential success of Melania Trump’s lawsuit. Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told Newsweek that she might have a strong case if Biden’s assertions are false, but she must prove either Biden’s knowledge of their falsehood or his reckless disregard for the truth.
Another former prosecutor, Shanlon Wu, believes the case would be challenging to win, given the difficulty public figures face in proving defamation, particularly when statements are sourced from previously published material.
This controversy arises as the Trump administration faces scrutiny over handling Jeffrey Epstein documents. The Justice Department recently announced it would not release additional records related to Epstein, reversing previous commitments to public disclosure.
Epstein was found to have died by suicide in a federal jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, though these findings remain contested. Trump and Epstein had a close relationship for several years before parting ways in the early 2000s.
Hunter Biden is no stranger to legal disputes. He recently received a pardon from his father for federal criminal convictions and has initiated lawsuits against individuals for alleged misuse of his laptop data.
A spokesperson for the first lady stated her legal team aims to secure retractions from those disseminating false information, emphasizing Melania’s memoir as the accurate account of her meeting with Donald Trump.
Biden referenced a New York Times report from 2019, noting that journalists Annie Carney and Maggie Haberman indicated sources claimed Epstein introduced the couple.
Whether Melania Trump will proceed with the billion-dollar lawsuit remains uncertain. Legal experts suggest such a case would test the boundaries of defamation law and may draw significant attention to both parties involved.
