Journalist Suing Melania Trump Says He Wants to Ask Her & Donald About Epstein

Melania Trump's legal battle with journalist Michael Wolff  is getting uglier ... and Wolff says he can't wait to ask Melania and President Donald Trump about Jeffrey Epstein under oath.

Here's the deal ... Wolff filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the First Lady, claiming she threatened to sue him over public statements he's made linking her to the notorious pedophile Epstein.

We reached out to the Office of the First Lady of the United States ... and they told us, "First Lady Melania Trump is proud to continue standing up to those who spread malicious and defamatory falsehoods as they desperately try to get undeserved attention and money from their unlawful conduct."

In response, Wolff told us he's never been able to ask someone a question under oath in his many years as a reporter ... and, he's looking forward to "asking Melania and Donald Trump about the matters at issue in this case including their relationship with Jeffrey Epstein."

Basically, neither side is backing down from this fight ... and, it may finally provide answers on the exact connection between the Trumps, Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

Wolff told the Daily Beast Melania might be the missing link between her husband and Epstein ... alleging she was "very involved" in the whole scandal. Wolff claims Melania's team threatened to sue him for $1 billion in damages unless he issues a retraction  -- though Wolff has fired back by arguing he can't be sued for defamation because he didn't write the article in the Daily Beast.