Satirical Trump-Epstein statue on National Mall spurs debate during Friendship Month

A 12-foot statue depicting President Donald Trump and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein holding hands and frolicking on the National Mall was erected early Tuesday by a group calling itself The Secret Handshake. The satirical installation is described by its organizers as a bronze-like sculpture intended to comment on public perceptions of the two men’s social ties. Three plaques accompany the piece, noting that the statues are "in Honor of Friendship Month" in September. One plaque reads, "We celebrate the long-lasting bond between President Donald J. Trump and his 'closest friend' Jeffrey Epstein." The other plaques reportedly feature lines from a birthday card Epstein is said to have written to Trump. The overall presentation is meant to be provocative rather than instructional, according to the organizers.

The Secret Handshake provided a statement to HuffPost on Tuesday, saying the statues speak for themselves and that the display was intended to prompt conversation about the nature of power, influence and social circles among the country’s elite. "Since this is Friendship Month, we wanted to celebrate what is presumably, at least publicly, Donald Trump’s only true friend," the group’s leader said. The leader described the project as a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the long-running public fascination with the pair’s relationship and the way it has been perceived in political and media discourse.

Trump and Epstein spent more than a decade moving in the same social circles, attending high-profile events and parties, and at times traveling together. Trump rode on Epstein’s private plane between New York and Florida, a detail that has long been cited in profiles of their acquaintance. Trump publicly described Epstein as a "terrific guy" in earlier interviews, and Epstein once claimed he believed he was Trump’s "closest friend." The two men were said to have enjoyed a shared appetite for lavish events and influential connections. The sculpture’s placement on the National Mall has reignited questions about transparency and accountability in the relationships among powerful figures, even as the piece itself is clearly labeled as satire.

Over time, the relationship between Trump and Epstein cooled. By the time Epstein was arrested on sex-trafficking charges in 2019, Trump publicly asserted that he was "not a fan" of Epstein. The arrest and Epstein’s subsequent death by suicide in federal prison sparked a flood of questions, theories and renewed scrutiny of Epstein’s network of associates. The satirical statue arrives amid a broader national discourse about how past relationships with Epstein are remembered and interpreted in current politics, a topic that continues to surface in media coverage and public commentary. The display is part of a pattern in which anonymous or controversial groups push provocative monuments to provoke discussion about power, fame and accountability.

The installation comes as questions about Epstein’s files and his associations persist. In the wake of Epstein’s death, there was ongoing interest from lawmakers and the public about documents related to his case. During discussions about transparency, Attorney General Pam Bondi claimed in February that there was an Epstein "client list" on her desk at the Justice Department. A month later, however, the Justice Department and the FBI released a statement saying Epstein never had a client list and that no further records tied to the Epstein probe would be made public. Those statements ignited debate even among supporters of the administration, who argued for or against broader disclosure of investigative materials. The controversy around the Epstein files continued to shape political narratives in the years that followed, with calls for release from both Republicans and Democrats, and questions about what, if any, information remains sealed.

In July, a report from The Wall Street Journal drew renewed attention to the Epstein inquiry by noting that the president’s name appeared many times in a "truckload" of documents reviewed by the Justice Department. That revelation intensified efforts by lawmakers to obtain the underlying materials, with a bipartisan push led by Representatives Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, and Ro Khanna, a Democrat from California, to force a floor vote on a bill demanding the release of the files. The effort, which requires 218 signatures, has faced political headwinds and procedural hurdles, leaving its fate uncertain at the moment. The push reflects a broader desire among some lawmakers and advocates to ensure greater transparency about Epstein’s crimes and the people connected to him.

The Secret Handshake has a history of provocative monuments in public spaces. Earlier works have included a series of tongue-in-cheek pieces, such as bronzed “turd” sculptures that mocked the supporters of those who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Another installation—a giant gold thumb crushing the Statue of Liberty—appeared on the National Mall in June with a plaque reading, "Dictator Approved." These pieces, while controversial, are part of a wider trend of anonymous art groups using public spaces to challenge conventional narratives and prompt reflection on American political culture. While organizers have not explained their long-term plans for future pieces, the new Trump-Epstein sculpture reinforces their aim of sparking dialogue about power, influence and accountability in a highly polarized national environment.

As the nation continues to debate the intersections of wealth, power and accountability, the National Mall remains a stage for provocative art that aims to disrupt conventional narratives. Whether this latest installation will shift public perception remains to be seen, but it has already succeeded in drawing renewed attention to past associations and the ongoing discourse over whether and how such associations should be disclosed and interpreted in political life. The Secret Handshake’s work, like previous installments, invites observers to consider how history judges connections forged in elite circles and what that means for public trust today.