Federal authorities tore down a provocative statue depicting Donald Trump holding hands with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein from the National Mall less than 24 hours after it appeared, fueling outrage, conspiracy chatter, and renewed scrutiny of Trump’s decades-old ties to Epstein. The anonymous artist collective behind the piece said it was meant as a political statement, while the Department of the Interior cited “non-compliance with the issued permit” as the reason for the takedown. The episode has fueled renewed scrutiny over Trump’s past association with Epstein and lingering questions about undisclosed files.
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Statue Erected Overnight
The life-size artwork showed Trump and Epstein grinning widely, feet lifted in playful poses, with a plaque dedicating it to “Friendship Month.” The inscription read: “We celebrate the long-lasting bond between President Donald J Trump and his ‘closest friend’ Jeffrey Epstein.” The group calling itself The Secret Handshake claimed responsibility for the installation and said they had secured a permit allowing the statue to remain until Sunday evening.
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Federal Authorities Intervene
Despite the permit, the National Park Service, overseen by the Department of the Interior, removed the sculpture within 24 hours. “It was not compliant with the permit issued,” said Elizabeth Peace, an Interior spokesperson, in a statement to CNN. The abrupt action surprised observers, given that temporary art installations are not uncommon on federal land, though rarely do they target sitting presidents so directly.
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Artist Group Responds
One artist involved, who identified himself only as Patrick, defended the statue as a commentary on Trump’s alliances. “We built the Trump-Epstein statue to honor the one and only true friend Donald Trump seems to have in his life,” he told the Guardian. Patrick also questioned the government’s move, noting: “The Trump administration has mostly been all about rebuilding statues of Confederate generals and other racist tropes from the past. I would argue Trump is a racist figure from the past, so why would you tear that down?”
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Trump’s Past Comments
Trump’s association with Epstein stretches back decades. In 2002, Trump told New York magazine that Epstein was a “terrific guy” and “a lot of fun to be with.” Epstein himself described Trump as his “closest friend for 10 years,” according to journalist Michael Wolff. In more recent years, however, Trump has distanced himself, insisting he was “not a fan” of Epstein and ended contact after Epstein “stole people that worked for me.” The White House has dismissed Epstein as “a creep.”
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Unreleased Epstein Files
The controversy comes amid heightened pressure on the Trump administration to release materials tied to Epstein’s business dealings and crimes. While Trump has claimed to support transparency, critics argue that his government has not disclosed the full “Epstein files.” The financier died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. His associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, is currently serving a lengthy prison sentence.
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White House Pushes Back
In a statement to the New York Times, the administration deflected criticism, accusing opponents of hypocrisy. “Democrats, the media and the organization that’s wasting their money on this statue knew about Epstein and his victims for years and did nothing to help them while President Trump was calling for transparency, and is now delivering on it with thousands of pages of documents,” the statement read.