Garish Trump-Epstein statue removed from DC National Mall after one-day installation
Anonymous art group The Secret Handshake claimed responsibility; U.S. Park Police cited permit violations for the removal
A roughly 12-foot-tall bronze sculpture depicting President Donald J. Trump and the late financier Jeffrey Epstein dancing was installed on Tuesday on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and removed by dawn Wednesday after park officials said it violated a permit.
The anonymous group calling itself The Secret Handshake said in a statement to USA Today that the work used art, irony and humor to spark public conversation in public spaces. The sculpture shows Trump with his left hand gripping Epstein's right, and a plaque under the figures reads: “We celebrate the long-lasting bond between President Donald J. Trump and his ‘closest friend’ Jeffrey Epstein.”
The installation was pulled by U.S. Park Police before daybreak Wednesday, with officials citing a permit violation and declining to provide additional details.
Democrats have long used the Trump-Epstein relationship as a political target, even though Trump and Epstein reportedly fell out in the mid-2000s, years before Epstein faced criminal charges that culminated in his 2019 death. Since the FBI and DOJ released a July 6 joint memo concluding Epstein killed himself while awaiting trial and did not maintain a comprehensive list of his well-connected acquaintances, pressure has grown on the administration to release more records related to the case. Last week, former South Florida U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta testified before the House Oversight Committee about Epstein’s 2008 plea deal that allowed him to serve a relatively short sentence.
In a statement to Time magazine, the White House framed the episode as a matter of transparency and accountability, saying, “Epstein knew Donald Trump, because Donald Trump kicked Epstein out of his club for being a creep.” The statement added that Democrats, the media, and the organization behind the statue had long known about Epstein’s victims but did nothing to assist them while President Trump pressed for transparency and moved to deliver on documents.
Images captured from the site in the hours after installation show a brisk flow of visitors and media, though Park Police moved quickly to remove the sculpture as officials explained the permit issue.
The latest development adds to an ongoing national conversation about political symbolism, art in public spaces, and the scrutiny surrounding influential figures tied to Epstein. While the sculpture’s fate was decided in a matter of hours, observers say the episode could influence future debates over what kinds of public displays are appropriate near federal monuments and how swiftly authorities should respond to unauthorized works.
Proponents of the display argued it was a provocative commentary on political networks and secrecy, while opponents contended the piece was inflammatory and inappropriate for a federal venue. Regardless of the debate, officials underscored that permit compliance is a nonnegotiable prerequisite for installations on federal property, a standard they said the sculpture did not meet.
As lawmakers continue to press for more information about Epstein’s network and the accountability of those connected to him, the incident on the National Mall serves as a reminder of how political subjects can intersect with art, social commentary, and the mechanics of permit control in the nation’s capital.
