Amanda Ungaro’s threat? Extremely low approval rating? What prompted Melania Trump to issue statement on Epstein

First lady Melania Trump’s sweeping statement distancing herself from sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has come under scrutiny as commentators and observers struggled to decipher what triggered it during a tumultuous time like the U.S.-Iran war, which is now in a ceasefire. Melania Trump said in a statement that she was not a victim of Epstein and that he did not introduce her to her husband, President Donald Trump. She clarified that she never set foot on Epstein’s plane or private island.

Amanda Ungaro threatens legal action

Melania’s sudden clarification sheds light on Brazilian model Amanda Ungaro. Ungaro, 41, made a series of posts on social media targeting Melania Trumo and said she would take legal action against her and the president.

Ungaro was born in Brazil and arrived in New York in 2002 at the age of 17. According to reports and records, she came to the United States on Epstein’s plane. She appeared in Epstein’s circle from 2002 to 2014. In 2014, she became Grenada’s ambassador to the United Nations. She is also married to Paolo Zampolli, who is currently the Presidential Envoy for Global Partnerships. They separated in 2021. Zampolli worked as a modeling agent, which is how they metUngaro was arrested in Florida in 2025 on fraud-related charges and later deported by ICE because she was not in the country legally, even though she belonged to Donald Trump’s elite circle. There are reports that Zampoli wants to have his ex-wife deported to gain custody of their son. But Zampoli denied any involvement.It’s unlikely that Melania Trump was threatened by comments on social media from a woman who was once in her inner circle, but her office has denied that. Following Melania Trump’s statement, Zampoli said he was prepared to testify under oath before Congress about Donald Trump and Melania Trump, not Epstein.

Melania Trump’s least popular first lady once

Just before Melania Trump’s statement, a poll showed Melania was the least popular first lady, despite recording a “historically bad” approval rating of -12, a sharp drop from +3 in January 2025. CNN senior data analyst Harry Enten noted that other first ladies, such as Michelle Obama, Jill Biden, Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush, all maintain net positive approval ratings. “I would say the American people really don’t care about Melania Trump,” Enten said.