Beyond her laughable attempt to overcome years of her own history with Jeffrey Epstein – thoroughly documented both privately and in the media – by simply ordering discussion of it to stop, Mrs. Trump has called for a hearing not for the perpetrators, nor for Epstein’s co-conspirators, but a hearing in which the survivors testify.

I wish I were joking, but no. The linked BBC article, which focuses more on Mrs. Trump’s well-established, undeniable ties to both Epstein and Maxwell, also has information on this proposed hearing:

In a surprise announcement on Thursday, the first lady called for congressional hearings for survivors of Epstein’s sex trafficking.

Melania Trump on Thursday additionally called on lawmakers to “give these victims their opportunity to testify under oath in front of Congress with the power of sworn testimony”.

“Each and every woman should have her day to tell her story in public if she wishes, and then her testimony should be permanently entered into the congressional record,” she said. “Then, and only then, we will have the truth.”

Family of Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre, Sky and Amanda Roberts, and other survivors told BBC Newsnight that they "have already shown extraordinary courage by coming forward, filing reports, and giving testimony.

“Asking more of them now is a deflection of responsibility, not justice,” they said in a statement. They accused the first lady of protecting “those with power”, including members of her husband’s administration who they said still have not released all of the investigative files related to Epstein.

“Survivors have done their part,” they said. “Now it’s time for those in power to do theirs.”