The Daily Beast, a publication known for its left-leaning stance, recently found itself in hot water over claims made about First Lady Melania Trump.
The outlet issued an apology and retracted a segment from its podcast that insinuated Melania Trump was "very involved" in the scandal surrounding the notorious financier Jeffrey Epstein. This segment, which included references to the First Lady, was based on an interview with author Michael Wolff.
According to The Post Millennial, the First Lady responded by sharing a screenshot of the apology, which stated, "The Daily Beast recently published a story headlined 'Melania Trump "Very Involved" in Epstein Scandal: Author' based on an interview with Michael Wolff. Upon reflection, we have determined that the article did not meet our standards and has therefore been removed from our platforms."
The apology further noted, "In response to a letter from the First Lady's attorneys, The Daily Beast has also removed a portion of an episode of The Daily Beast Podcast titled 'Trump's Epstein Scandal Can't Stop Won't Stop' referencing the First Lady. The First Lady points to her bestselling book Melania as the definitive account of her life story. We apologize to the First Lady and our readers."
The controversy began when the article was initially removed in July, following a letter from Melania Trump's legal team challenging the story's headline and framing. At that time, the Daily Beast issued an editor's note acknowledging the removal of the article and expressing regret for any confusion caused. However, the podcast episode containing the contentious references remained accessible on YouTube until the recent retraction.
In the podcast, Wolff alleged that Melania Trump was introduced to President Trump through Paolo Zampolli, the founder of ID Models, who purportedly had connections to Epstein. Wolff stated, "She was very involved in this Epstein relationship," and further claimed, "I mean, there was this model thing Shes introduced by a model agent, both of whom Trump and Epstein are involved with. Shes introduced to Trump that way. Epstein knows her well. Epstein says the first time Donald Trump and Melania have sex is on his airplane."
The incident underscores the importance of journalistic integrity and the need for media outlets to adhere to rigorous standards when reporting on public figures.
As the First Lady's attorneys successfully challenged the claims, it serves as a reminder of the potential consequences of publishing unsubstantiated allegations.
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