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A controversial statue depicting U.S. President Donald Trump and late financier Jeffrey Epstein was secretly installed on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., but was quickly taken down by authorities.
The life-sized figures, painted to resemble bronze, showed Trump and Epstein holding hands, smiling, and lifting a leg as if mid-dance. The installation, placed on white plinths, bore the title “Best Friends Forever” on its plaque. The anonymous artist collective calling itself “The Secret Handshake” later claimed responsibility for the piece, according to statements cited by NPR and other outlets.
The U.S. Interior Department confirmed the statue was removed for lacking a required permit. U.S. Park Police were seen loading the artwork onto a truck before dawn Wednesday, with video footage spreading across social media.
The guerrilla art installation was part of ongoing activist efforts to spotlight Trump’s past association with Epstein. Just last week, four individuals were arrested in the U.K. after projecting images of Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle during the former president’s state visit.
Trump has acknowledged knowing Epstein socially years ago but insists they had a falling-out long before Epstein’s 2019 death in jail, which was ruled a suicide. Still, scrutiny over their past relationship continues to spark political controversy. Earlier this month, Democrats in the U.S. House released a decades-old birthday note Trump allegedly wrote to Epstein, reading: “May every day be another wonderful secret.” The White House has dismissed the letter as inauthentic.
This latest stunt underscores how artists and activists continue using provocative displays to challenge Trump’s public image and to remind the public of his once-documented ties to Epstein. With political tensions high ahead of future elections, such installations remain a potent form of protest art—blurring lines between politics, scandal, and cultural commentary.
