CNN senior White House correspondent Kristen Holmes offered some insight as to why first lady Melania Trump, seemingly out of the blue, attempted to distance herself from the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Thursday.

“I’m told by a number of White House officials that they were just absolutely stunned, particularly by the timing of these remarks,” Holmes told CNN’s Erin Burnett on Thursday night. “It sparked rumors all across the White House campus that she was trying to get ahead of something that most people must not know about.”

Holmes added that some sources close to Trump told her they were less surprised by the first lady’s remarks because she had reportedly been growing frustrated with the online discourse about her alleged relationship with Epstein.

“She’s never actually come out and flat out denied it, and she wanted an on-the-record denial,” Holmes said.

Holmes: I am told by people who are close to her that they were a little bit less surprised because in private, Melania Trump has been growing increasingly frustrated with the online chatter about her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, and she's never actually come out and flat… pic.twitter.com/Sbr3UWgM8q

President Donald Trump told MS NOW that he did not know about the first lady’s statement ahead of time. He added that “she didn’t know [Epstein].”

However, Holmes said a source inside the White House told her the president was indeed aware of the first lady’s statement in advance.

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