Hunter Biden shrugs off Melania Trump's $1.5 billion threat over ‘defamatory' Jeffrey Epstein remarks
'F*** that. That's not going to happen,' Biden said with an arrogant smile during an interview on YouTube show 'Channel 5 with Andrew Callaghan' released Thursday.
The first lady's team revealed Wednesday that it had put the scandal-scarred former first son on notice for suggesting that Epstein introduced Melania to her husband, President Trump.
Melania's office has made similar threats to other media figures and outlets. Last month, for example, the Daily Beast retracted an article that peddled similar claims after being warned of legal action.
Democratic strategist James Carville also apologized and scrubbed an episode of his podcast last week in which he speculated there was an 'Epstein connection' involving the first lady.
'Failure to comply will leave Mrs. Trump with no choice but to pursue any and all legal rights and remedies available to her to recover the overwhelming financial and reputational harm that you have caused her to suffer,' the first lady's attorney Alejandro Brito wrote in an Aug. 6 demand letter reported by Fox News.
Despite his bravado, Biden could find himself in a lot of financial trouble if he were sued. The 55-year-old has claimed in court documents that he is saddled with 'significant debt in the millions of dollars range' amid sagging art and book sales and mounting legal bills.
Last month, during an interview on the same YouTube channel, Biden weighed in on the Epstein drama dogging the president.
'[It is] beyond a doubt that he [Trump] and Epstein were very close friends for a very long period of time. They spent enormous time together — they spent an enormous amount of time together around young women,' he said on the show last month.
'According to his biographer, Jeffrey Epstein introduced Melania,' he added.
Biden, like the Daily Beast and others, was citing author Michael Wolff, who has made bold and dubious claims about the president in the past that have been subject to dispute.
The president cheered his wife's threat against Hunter Biden Thursday, insisting that he met Melania through 'another person,' but not Epstein.
'Well, I said, 'go forward.' I have done pretty well on these lawsuits lately. And I said, 'Go forward,'' the president told Fox News Radio host Brian Kilmeade. 'Jeffrey Epstein had nothing to do with Melania and introducing, but they do that to demean. They make up stories.'
'She was very upset about it,' the president added of his wife.
The former first son claimed that he was referencing other sources beyond Wolff.
'What I said was what I have heard and seen, reported and written, primarily from Michael Wolff, but also dating back all the way to 2019 when the New York Times, I think … reported that sources said that Jeffrey Epstein claimed to be the person to introduce Donald Trump to Melania at that time,' he said in the interview that dropped Thursday.
A cocky Biden also suggested he would love to get to a deposition from the Trumps over the Epstein claims.
'I also think they're bullies, and they think that a billion dollars is going to scare me,' he said. 'If they want to sit down for a deposition and clarify the nature of the relationship between Jeffrey Epstein — if the president, the first lady want to do that, and all of the known associates around them at the time of whatever time that they met, I'm more than happy to provide them the platform to be able to do it.'
Both the president and first lady have said they met in 1998 during a New York Fashion Week party hosted by businessman Paolo Zampolli.
Melania recounted in her memoir that the future president sat down next to her and struck up a conversation, writing: 'I found myself drawn to his magnetic energy.'
The two tied the knot in 2005.
Brito, Melania's counsel, ripped Wolff as a 'serial fabulist' and accused Hunter of amplifying his comments to draw attention.
'Given your vast history of trading on the names of others – including your surname – for your personal benefit, it is obvious that you published these false and defamatory statements about Mrs. Trump to draw attention to yourself,' the attorney chided.
Brito had given Hunter until 5 p.m. Aug. 7 to issue a retraction and apology.
Originally published as Hunter Biden shrugs off Melania Trump's $1.5 billion threat over 'defamatory' Jeffrey Epstein remarks
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