Michael Wolff, the controversial author famous for his insider accounts of the Trump White House, has escalated his legal battle against former First Lady Melania Trump by announcing plans to subpoena and question her under oath.

The recent developments unfold as Wolff counters Melania Trump’s threat of a $1 billion defamation suit with legal action of his own.

During an in-depth conversation on the Daily Beast’s Inside Trump’s Head podcast, Wolff shared insights into his legal approach and its potential impact. “My lawyers have filed a lawsuit against the first lady,” Wolff stated plainly. He highlighted that the countersuit leverages New York’s anti-SLAPP statutes, which aim to defend free speech by challenging Melania’s lawsuit as a tactic to silence him. “Her lawsuit is essentially a SLAPP suit—designed to make me stop talking,” Wolff remarked.

Wolff’s claims arise from intensive discussions with Epstein, which were crucial for his 2018 bestseller Fire and Fury. He recounted Epstein’s claim that he and Trump were deeply enmeshed in “every aspect of each other’s lives, socially, sexually, and in business,” hinting at a complex, longstanding connection.

This legal confrontation began after Melania’s legal representatives sent a letter to Wolff, threatening a defamation lawsuit over comments made on the podcast. According to Melania’s team, these comments were “false, defamatory, and lewd.” The letter demanded Wolff retract his assertion that Melania first encountered Trump on Epstein’s notorious “Lolita Express” plane, a claim that has sparked significant media attention.

This legal conflict was sparked after Melania’s attorneys sent Wolff’s team a letter threatening a defamation lawsuit for statements he made on the podcast, which Melania’s camp claims included “false, defamatory, and lewd statements.” The letter demanded that Wolff retract allegations that Melania first met Trump on Epstein’s infamous “Lolita Express” plane, an explosive claim widely discussed in media circles.

Wolff condemned these threats as a “trick in the book” regularly used by the Trump camp to intimidate and silence critics, noting, “They sue the media and the media goes quiet.” Despite the daunting nature of the litigation, Wolff refused to back down, emphasizing that the lawsuit was an effort by the Trumps to “cover up” the Epstein saga.

Legal experts point out that this countersuit is significant because it targets a sitting First Lady—an unprecedented move that underscores the high-stakes nature of the dispute. Wolff is pushing for the court to dismiss Melania’s defamation threats under anti-SLAPP provisions and to impose punitive damages, asserting the claims “lack substantial basis in law or in fact.”

The Daily Beast, which initially aired the contentious podcast episode titled “Trump’s Epstein Scandal Can’t Stop Won’t Stop,” subsequently removed the episode and retracted portions of the coverage following complaints from the First Lady’s attorneys. They apologized to the First Lady and readers, noting the episode “did not meet our standards.”

Wolff’s suit aims not only to defend his right to free speech but also to compel transparency about Epstein-related matters that have long eluded public scrutiny. He described the lawsuit as “an opportunity to reconstruct their lives together.”

With subpoena power, Wolff could also extend his inquiry to Epstein’s alleged accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, and other figures connected to the infamous social circle. “Everybody who was involved in that circle during that time period is someone who we’ll certainly think about calling,” Wolff said.

As this lawsuit unfolds, it promises to reopen blistering debates about the Trumps’ ties to Epstein and the lengths to which they will go to suppress inconvenient truths. Wolff’s determination to continue the investigation despite mounting legal pressure serves as a litmus test for free speech and accountability among America’s political elite.