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Maximum respect to First Lady Melania Trump.

Earlier this week, she publicly spoke about the Jeffrey Epstein saga and said she played no part in his deeds and met him at social circles when she was dating her husband, Donald Trump.

Commentators, podcasters and media outlets are all pontificating as to why she made the statement, some even hold the view that it was done to deflect attention from the war with Iran.

People can get very cynical and are always looking for a motive behind statements.

For the most part, Melania Trump has kept to herself and has not figured prominently in both public and private life. She is devoted to her son and is quietly supportive of her husband.

So why should she be smeared by the sordid details surrounding Jeffrey Epstein?

She was right to say she was not a victim.

In my younger years, I went to so many parties both in Europe and Jamaica, met celebrities and all manner of people. I was up for a good time.

What they got up to had nothing to do with me. I am no freak. I took in the spectacle, danced a bit, had a few drinks and was then on my merry way.

Melania went to some of these swanky New York and Palm Beach parties with her fiancé, later her husband and probably met plenty of the fast set.

Sure, she probably met Epstein, but that doesn’t imply she was inextricably connected to his and Ghislaine Maxwell’s shenanigans.

There are those who say her statement must have upset the President.

Why so? She doesn’t strike me as someone who would deliberately embarrass her husband and belittle him. She does have a streak of independence and her own persona. She is not there simply to smile and wave to the crowd.

Furthermore, she doesn’t want her son in years to come having to hear his mother was linked to the despicable Jeffrey Epstein. What Barron will remember is that his mother spoke her mind and took a bold stance before the world. That is something he can be proud of.

Melania Trump declared: “The lies linking me to the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today. The individuals lying about me are devoid of ethical standards, humility, and respect. I do not object to their ignorance, but rather I reject their mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation. 

“I’ve never been friends with Epstein. Donald and I were invited to the same parties as Epstein from time to time, since overlapping in social circles is common in New York City and Palm Beach. To be clear, I never had a relationship with Epstein or his accomplice Maxwell. My email to Maxwell cannot be categorised as anything more than casual correspondence

“I am not Epstein’s victim. He did not introduce me to Donald Trump. I met my husband by chance at a party in 1998. Numerous false images and statements about Epstein and me have been circulating on social media for years now. Be cautious about what you believe. These images and stories are completely false.”

She seemed a bit tense and nervous when she read out the prepared text, perhaps because she wanted to get it right.

Melania Trump wanted to set the record straight. What she made clear is that she cannot be tied to Epstein and his deeds, and to do so is a lie, smearing her reputation.

That is understandable and reasonable, after all, she and everybody else continue to read about ”her involvement with Epstein”

One would have thought that many women would be in solidarity with Melania Trump, but women on American TV networks are instead focused on why she made the statement. It came out of nowhere; she has reopened the Epstein scandal again, and no one is accusing her of being a part of the scurrilous behaviour that took place.

If the elegant shoe was put on the elegant other foot, they too would want to clear their name; they too would deny an association with Epstein. No one would want to see their reputation besmirched by simply sharing a room with a creep.

Melania Trump believes she has been unfairly tarnished by pictures and gossip about Epstein and sort to tell her truth. Her statement is not a prelude to something far more sinister to be revealed.

Commentators are reading far to much into this and are manufacturing a story that isn’t there.

The First Lady used the occasion to offer support for women who were victims of Epstein’s sexual abuse, but she got no praise for that. Many commentators opted instead to suggest she has dug a deeper hole for both the President and the Republican Party. They all decided to politicise her statement.

Epstein has dominated American politics, and it is difficult to fathom why. A convicted paedophile who ensnared notables into his sordid world, a man who committed suicide in his cell. Why the obsession? There are other matters in the world deserving of far more attention than this.

One of the more memorable parts of Melania Trump’s speech is when she said that the women victims’ voices should be heard.

This is what she had to say: “ Now is the time for Congress to act. Epstein was not alone. We must work openly and transparently to uncover the truth. I call on Congress to provide the women victimised by Epstein with a public hearing specifically centred around the survivors. Give these victims the opportunity to testify under oath in front of Congress with the power of sworn testimony. Each and every woman should have her day to tell her story in public is she wishes.”

This is noble and should be allowed to go ahead. Many in the media skipped over what the First Lady said here. She didn’t just look to dissociate herself from the Epstein scandal; she took time to show solidarity for the victims and consider their plight. She, too, believes those perpetrators and those involved should be brought to justice.