Author Michael Wolff \u2014 known for his sensational and often controversial takes on former President Donald Trump \u2014 is now suing former First Lady Melania Trump after she warned of legal action over his remarks linking her to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wolff, who has a long history of making provocative claims about the Trump family, accused the Trumps of \u201cthreatening those who speak against them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The dispute stems from a since-retracted story published by The Daily Beast<\/em> in July, based on an interview with Wolff. The outlet later admitted the piece \u201cdid not meet editorial standards\u201d and issued an apology after Melania Trump\u2019s legal team challenged \u201cthe headline and framing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite the outlet\u2019s own acknowledgment of its failure, Wolff is now claiming that the Trumps use legal action \u201cto silence their speech, to intimidate their critics generally, and to extract unjustified payments and North Korean-style confessions and apologies,\u201d according to the Associated Press.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He filed his lawsuit on the very day Melania Trump\u2019s lawyer had given him to retract his statements, apologize, and pay damages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The controversy began with comments Wolff made on The Daily Beast Podcast<\/em>, hosted by Joanna Coles, during a discussion of Epstein\u2019s connections to various public figures. Wolff alleged, without providing evidence, that \u201c[Melania] was very involved in this Epstein relationship. There is this model thing, and she\u2019s introduced by a model agent, both of whom Trump and Epstein are involved with. She\u2019s introduced to Trump that way, Epstein knows her well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wolff later told Fox News Digital that he \u201chad nothing to do with the article\u201d that The Daily Beast<\/em> published \u2014 a statement critics see as an attempt to distance himself from the outlet\u2019s retracted piece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Melania Trump\u2019s spokesperson, Nicholas Clemens, responded firmly:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFirst lady Melania Trump is proud to continue standing up to those who spread malicious and defamatory falsehoods as they desperately try to get undeserved attention and money from their unlawful conduct.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Wolff\u2019s lawsuit now argues that it\u2019s \u201cfair to ask\u201d whether Melania Trump \u201cfits into the Epstein story,\u201d and that he intends to put the Trumps under oath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The former first lady, however, has consistently fought back against false claims and media attacks since her time in the White House \u2014 and this latest case appears to be another chapter in a long line of media figures using innuendo to generate headlines at her expense.\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n