A prominent liberal media outlet was forced to issue a public apology after publishing a baseless hit piece targeting First Lady Melania Trump, claiming she introduced the president to Jeffrey Epstein. While the media spent years falsely painting Melania as aloof, this latest blunder proves what conservatives have known all along: the attacks on the Trump family are not just biased, they’re dishonest and increasingly indefensible.
The Daily Beast came under fire after publishing a report claiming that Melania Trump was introduced to Donald Trump by Jeffrey Epstein. The article stated that Melania arrived in New York in 1996 to pursue a modeling career, eventually meeting Trump, whom she married in 2005. The outlet’s podcast featured journalist Michael Wolff, who implied that Melania was “very involved” with Epstein during that time. However, following pushback from Melania’s legal team, the segment was swiftly removed and replaced with an editor’s note apologizing “for any confusion” over the story’s central claim.
"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,” the editor’s note read. “After reviewing the matter, the Beast has taken down the article and apologizes for any confusion or misunderstanding."
"She’s introduced by a model agent, both of whom Trump and Epstein are involved with. She’s introduced to Trump that way,” Wolff claimed. “Epstein knows her well.”
However, even some left-leaning commentators stepped in to defend Melania, slamming Wolff for making unfounded and reckless claims.
New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman has taken aim at Wolff for repeatedly botching basic facts in his coverage of the Trump administration. Even Jeet Heer, a liberal writer for the left-leaning outlet The Nation, has called out Wolff for having a habit of stretching the truth in his past reporting.