Pundit James Carville apologizes and pulls video suggesting a Melania Trump ‘Epstein connection'
The 80-year-old pundit issued the mea culpa at the start of his latest 'Politics War Room' podcast episode, noting that he also took down and edited the offending video after hearing from the first lady's attorney.
3 Melania Trump has aggressively defended herself from allegations she was introduced to her husband by Jeffrey Epstein.
AP
'In last week's podcast episode, we spoke with Judd Legum. After the episode, we received a letter from Melania Trump's lawyer. He took issue with our title of one of those YouTube videos from that episode and a couple of comments I made about the first lady,' Carville explained.
'We took a look at what they complained about, and we took down the video and edited out those comments from the episode,' he continued.
'I also take back these statements and apologize,' Carville, sounding like he was reading a prepared statement, added.
Melania shared a transcript of Carville's apology on X – along with a screenshot of the pulled video with a red 'X' across it.
The YouTube clip was titled: 'James Carville: The Epstein Connection – Trump & Melania.'
It's unclear what specific claims made by the former Bill Clinton campaign manager peeved the first lady's legal team since the offending comments have been scrubbed.
3 Carville noted that the edits and apology were made after he heard from Melania's lawyer.
Getty Images
Carville's retraction and apology follows lefty news website Daily Beast taking down a Melania story last week after the outlet was contacted by her lawyers.
'After this story was published, The Beast received a letter from First Lady Melania Trump's attorney challenging the headline and framing of the article,' read the editor's note that replaced the article's text.
'After reviewing the matter, the Beast has taken down the article and apologizes for any confusion or misunderstanding,' the note continued.
3 Melania shared Carville's apology on X.
X / @MELANIATRUMP
The retracted article highlighted dubious claims by author Michael Wolff that a modeling agent connected to notorious sex predator Jeffrey Epstein introduced Melania to her husband, President Trump.
In her self-titled 2024 memoir, Melania explained that she met Trump at a September 1998 Fashion Week party at the Kit Kat Klub in New York City.
Trump sat down next to his future wife and started a conversation, Melania recalled.
'I found myself drawn to his magnetic energy,' she wrote.
The Trumps got engaged six years later and married in 2005.
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