The media is used to lying. But they aren’t used to getting in trouble for it.
Now a major media outlet is forced to apologize to Melania Trump for an outrageous lie.
Daily Beast Retracts Article on Melania Trump and Epstein
On Thursday, July 31, 2025, The Daily Beast removed an article alleging that a modeling agent linked to Jeffrey Epstein introduced Melania Trump to President Donald Trump.
The article, based on claims by author Michael Wolff on “The Daily Beast Podcast,” was replaced with an editor’s note stating, “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 part of any confusion or misunderstanding.”
The original headline, text, image, and URL were fully scrubbed from the outlet’s website, reflecting a swift response to legal concerns raised by Melania Trump’s team.
Wolff’s Claims and Journalistic Criticism
The retracted article stemmed from Wolff’s podcast interview on Saturday, where he claimed Melania was “very involved” in President Trump’s “relationship” with Epstein, alleging, “She’s introduced by a model agent, both of whom Trump and Epstein are involved with. She’s introduced to Trump that way. Epstein knows her well.”
Wolff, author of “Fire & Fury,” has faced significant skepticism for his reporting. In 2018, journalist Jeet Heer wrote in The New Republic that “Wolff is a shoddy, dishonest journalist” who “plays loose with the facts.”
Similarly, New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman told CNN that Wolff “gets basic details wrong” and creates narratives that are “notionally true, conceptually true” but often factually inaccurate.
These criticisms highlight ongoing concerns about Wolff’s reliability, which likely contributed to The Daily Beast’s decision to retract the article.
Melania’s Account and Ongoing Epstein Scrutiny
In her 2024 memoir, Melania, the First Lady detailed meeting Donald Trump at a September 1998 Fashion Week party at the Kit Kat Klub in New York City, writing:
“I saw my friend wave at someone behind me. When I turned around, I noticed a man and an attractive blonde woman approaching us. ‘Hi. I’m Donald Trump,’ the man said when he reached my table.”
She described their conversation as captivating, noting, “From the moment our conversation began, I was captivated by his charm and easygoing nature,” and felt like “the center of his world.”
The Trump administration continues to face pressure from supporters to release additional documents related to Epstein’s federal child sex trafficking case.
Epstein, who died by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial, remains a subject of public and political scrutiny.
