Melania just 'undermined' Trump's Epstein claims and set stage for 'big clash' with Dems

A six-minute speech from First Lady Melania Trump on her connection to Jeffrey Epstein could not have come at a worse time for Donald Trump.

Political analyst Stephen Collinson believes Melania's speech was one of the First Lady's frustrations bubbling over. Insiders told the CNN senior reporter that Trump had been aware of a speech, but not its contents. Melania's statement appears to have made things worse inside the White House at a delicate time for the Trump administration.

Collinson wrote, "Almost every time the White House has tried to quell the drama, it has made it worse. At critical moments, victims of Epstein who have bravely gone public about their ordeals have injected their campaign with new momentum. The first lady’s remarks may have a similar impact.

"By venting frustrations so publicly, she risked undermining the White House message that there’s no reason for interest in or concern about Epstein.

"She was also speaking in the context of warnings by Epstein survivors that they have been denied justice by a hostile government. Her comment could be interpreted as an argument that they deserve a moment of vindication in front of the country."

But it is not only Donald Trump that Melania's statement will affect. Collinson argues that, for all the danger the president may now be in over the statement, damage will be done to both Melania and the Republican Party.

"The first lady has also created a political trap for herself," he wrote. "Democrats on Capitol Hill are demanding that she testify to the committee. She may therefore have planted the seeds for a first big clash between the White House and Congress if Democrats win back one or both chambers of Congress in November.

"Her speech also came as Trump’s foundation of support in his MAGA movement is being tested as never before. Previous Epstein developments alienated him from some of his most fervent supporters, since they played into a perception that a Washington deep state is covering up crimes of rich and powerful elites.

"Trump is also at odds with some high-profile former supporters who regard his Iran adventure as flouting his campaign pledge of no new foreign wars."

Materials from the Department of Justice have been released, including emails that feature correspondence between child offender Epstein and Trump.

Trump is mentioned thousands of times in the files released by the Justice Department, including in emails and correspondence sent by Jeffrey Epstein himself to others.

Due to the sheer volume of Epstein-related materials released by the DOJ, many of the documents contain unverified, uncorroborated allegations that do not constitute evidence and do not establish wrongdoing.