The Daily Beast just pulled a story faster than a politician dodging a tough question, after alleging a connection between Melania Trump and Jeffrey Epstein that didn’t sit right with her legal team.
Fox News reported that the article claimed Melania was introduced to Donald Trump through a modeling agent tied to the disgraced financier Epstein, but was removed following a stern challenge from the First Lady’s attorney, with the publication issuing an apology for any confusion caused.
This saga kicked off when the Daily Beast ran a piece based on claims by journalist Michael Wolff, aired during a podcast interview with the outlet’s chief content officer, Joanna Coles.
Wolff spun a tale of Melania being deeply entwined in Epstein’s orbit, stating she was “introduced to Trump that way,” with Epstein allegedly knowing her well.
Let’s be real—Wolff’s storytelling often seems more suited to a Hollywood script than a newsroom, and this claim smells like another stretch from a man whose credibility has taken hits before.
Shortly after the article went live, Melania’s legal team fired off a letter disputing the headline and framing, prompting the Daily Beast to yank the story and replace it with an editor’s note expressing regret for any misunderstanding.
The outlet’s mea culpa reads as a rare moment of humility in a media landscape often too stubborn to admit a misstep, though one wonders if the apology would’ve surfaced without legal pressure.
Meanwhile, the original article’s link now redirects to a placeholder page, a digital graveyard for a story that couldn’t stand the heat.
This isn’t the first time Wolff’s words have stirred controversy; back in 2018, his book “Fire and Fury” raised eyebrows with insinuations about Donald Trump’s personal life, later denied by multiple figures in Trump’s circle.
During a chaotic “Morning Joe” interview that year, Wolff’s vague hints about an alleged affair were slammed as “disgusting” by those implicated, and the segment ended abruptly with host Mika Brzezinski accusing him of smearing a woman.
If that’s journalism, then tabloid gossip deserves a Pulitzer—Wolff’s track record, as noted by critics in the New Republic, often leans more on imagination than hard evidence.
Shifting gears to the broader Epstein context, Donald Trump and the financier were once pals, though a falling out soured their ties, with Trump recently alleging Epstein pilfered staff from his Mar-a-Lago club.
The Epstein mess continues to haunt public discourse, with Trump’s base clamoring for the release of so-called “Epstein files,” only to be frustrated by binders from Attorney General Pam Bondi that revealed nothing new.
Even as the Department of Justice issued a memo denying a client list or blackmail evidence tied to Epstein—who took his own life in prison while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges—the demand for transparency among conservatives hasn’t waned, much to Trump’s apparent irritation as he’s labeled such fixation a Democratic “hoax.”