First lady Melania Trump surprised many when she released a statement denying any connection to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein - including her husband, President Donald Trump. Following Melania's Thursday, April 9, statement to the press, MS NOW reported that they had a "brief phone call" with the president, 79, where he allegedly told the outlet he had no prior knowledge of his wife's plans to speak out on the topic. The publication alleged that "many" White House staffers were also "caught off guard" by Melania's impromptu statement.