Hunter Biden defied First Lady Melania Trump’s demand to apologize for “defamatory” statements alleging a relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, setting up a legal battle.
In an interview with YouTuber Andrew Callaghan on his web series Channel 5 earlier this month, the former first son repeated a false claim that Epstein introduced Melania Trump to her future husband, first alleged in an audio clip from Epstein shared by The Daily Beast. The first lady sent a letter to Biden through her lawyer Alejandro Brito, demanding a retraction and apology, or else she would sue for $1 billion. Biden responded bluntly and crudely.
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“F*** that,” he said, when asked if he would like to apologize. “That’s not gonna happen.”
“It’s lawsuit time!” Callaghan said.
In a follow-up episode from Callaghan, released Thursday, Biden doubled down on his previous claim, arguing that it had weight, citing journalistic reports.
“I don’t think that these threats of a lawsuit add up to anything other than, [a] designed distraction,” he said, deriding Trump and her husband as “bullies.”
“I’ve got this to say: If they’d like to sit down for a deposition and clarify the nature of their relationship between Jeffrey Epstein and the president and first lady, you want to do that?… I’m more than happy to provide them with a platform to be able to do that,” Biden added.
The former first son mocked one of the current first sons, Donald Trump Jr., for calling for the release of the “Epstein List” during the Biden administration.
“Here’s what’s also insane: you’ve got manchild Don Trump Jr., who was waving the flag for whoever doesn’t release the Epstein List is obviously guilty, and the Biden administration, blah blah blah blah blah. Where are you now Donny? Where are you now?” he said, claiming that everything the MAGA crowd says is a “projection or confession.”
In the often rambling interview, Biden also claimed that Trump’s handling of the Epstein case was making it harder for sexually abused children to come forward.
For the interview, Biden wore a camo hat with the three arrow symbol of the German historical paramilitary Iron Front, which unsuccessfully tried to combat the rise of the Nazis.
Biden’s original claim that started the feud was made in an Aug. 5 interview with Callaghan.
“They spent an enormous time together. According to [Trump’s] biographer, Jeffrey Epstein introduced Melania. That’s how Melania, and the first lady and the president met. Yeah, according to Michael Wolff,” Biden said.
Wolff made his claim in a podcast that aired on July 26, claiming Epstein and Donald Trump were involved with “a model agent,” who introduced him to the future first lady. The Daily Beast also published an article on Wolff’s claim, but retracted it and issued an apology after Melania Trump’s attorney contacted the publication. Democratic commentator James Carville also issued an apology after repeating the claim on his podcast.
HUNTER BIDEN SHARES FALSE CLAIM EPSTEIN INTRODUCED FIRST LADY TO TRUMP
In her letter to Biden, Melania Trump’s lawyer called Biden’s comments “extremely salacious,” which caused her “to suffer overwhelming financial and reputational harm.”
Melania Trump met the future president in 1998 at a party hosted by Paolo Zampolli, a former modeling agent. The two married in January 2005.