The political feud between the Trump and Biden families has taken a new and dramatic turn, with First Lady Melania Trump threatening to sue Hunter Biden for over $1 billion. The legal action stems from a claim made by Biden, son of former US President Joe Biden, that the First Lady was introduced to her husband, US President Donald Trump, by sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Lawyers acting on behalf of Mrs. Trump have described the claim as "false, disparaging, defamatory and inflammatory," and are demanding a retraction and an apology, or they will proceed with the lawsuit.
Hunter Biden made the comments during a wide-ranging interview with filmmaker Andrew Callaghan, in which he strongly criticized the president's former ties to Epstein. He claimed that unreleased documents relating to Epstein would "implicate" President Trump and stated, "Epstein introduced Melania to Trump - the connections are so wide and deep." The First Lady’s legal letter notes that the claim was partially attributed to Michael Wolff, a journalist who authored a critical biography of the president. In a recent interview with a US outlet, Wolff reportedly claimed that the First Lady was known to an associate of Epstein and Trump when she met her now-husband. The outlet later retracted the story after receiving a letter from the First Lady's attorney that challenged the contents and framing of the story.
The First Lady's legal letter, which was addressed to an attorney for Hunter Biden, states that she has suffered "overwhelming financial and reputational harm" because of the claim. It also accuses Biden of having a "vast history of trading on the names of others" and repeating the claim "to draw attention to yourself." The legal letter is a powerful and public statement that seeks to not only clear her name but also to hold Biden accountable for what she and her legal team believe are false and defamatory statements.
There is no evidence that the pair were introduced to each other by Epstein, who took his own life in prison while awaiting trial in 2019. In the legal letter, Hunter Biden is accused of relying on a since-removed article as the basis of his claims. A message on the archived version of the online story from The Daily Beast reads, "After this story was published, The Beast received a letter from First Lady Melania Trump's attorney challenging the headline and framing of the article. After reviewing the matter, the Beast has taken down the article and apologizes for any confusion or misunderstanding."
The legal letter comes after weeks of pressure on the White House to release the so-called Epstein files, previously undisclosed documents relating to the criminal investigation against the convicted paedophile. While President Trump said he would release the records if he returned to office, the FBI and justice department said in July that no "incriminating" client list of Epstein associates existed.
