India, July 4 -- Marc Beckman, a senior adviser to First Lady Melania Trump, said her surprise White House statement denying ties to Jeffrey Epstein was driven primarily by a desire to become an advocate for the convicted sex offender's victims, offering the clearest explanation yet for an address that caught even US President Trump off guard.

In a statement to Politico, Beckman said that the first lady's decision to reject any connection to Epstein was less about herself and more about empowering the victims, saying she wanted to be a champion and a leader for them before calling on Congress to let survivors testify on the record if they chose to do so. The comments mark Beckman's most detailed account yet of what motivated the address,...