Statue of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein removed from National Mall after less than a day
A statue of President Donald Trump holding hands with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein appeared briefly on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., before it was removed after less than a day.
The bronze-painted installation, titled Best Friends Forever, showed the two men smiling, holding hands and skipping. A plaque below the figures referenced "Friendship Month," describing Epstein as Trump’s "closest friend."
Why the statue was removed
What we know:
The National Park Service issued a permit allowing the statue to remain until Sunday evening. But eyewitness video showed U.S. Park Police removing it by truck before sunrise on Wednesday.
A spokesperson for the Department of the Interior told NPR the statue was removed because it was "not compliant with the permit issued," without specifying how.
The group behind the artwork, The Secret Handshake, accused the Trump administration of interfering, claiming it was not given the 24-hour written notice required under the permit. A member of the group told NPR the statue was "physically toppled, broken, and taken away" without warning.
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What they're saying:
In a statement to FOX TV Stations, a member of The Secret Handshake said the statue was "physically destroyed and removed by the Trump administration at 5:30 this AM."
"We had a legal permit for the statue until Sunday at 8 p.m.," the group said. "We found out at the end of the day that some people within the parks department aka most likely the Trump administration were trying to find ways to say we were not in compliance. We were then told everything is okay and that if the administration decided to remove it we would have 24 hours notice to take it down ourselves.
"Instead, they showed up in the middle of the night without notice and physically toppled the statue, broke it, and took it away."
The group described the removal as censorship. "This is a literal example of the Trump administration toppling free speech when it has been legally permitted and approved because they are scared about whatever Trump is hiding in the Epstein files."
Trump and Epstein relationship explained
The backstory:
Trump and Epstein were known to socialize in the 1980s and 1990s at parties in New York and Florida. In a 2002 interview, Trump described Epstein as "a terrific guy," though he later said their friendship ended before 2006 when Epstein was indicted for soliciting prostitution.
Trump was FBI informant in Epstein case, Johnson says
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) spoke to reporters on Friday, saying "[President Trump] was an FBI informant to try to take this stuff down" in reference to the Epstein case.
After Epstein was arrested on sex trafficking charges in 2019, Trump repeatedly said he had not spoken to him in years and described him as "not a fan." Epstein died by suicide that year in federal custody while awaiting trial.
The relationship continues to shadow Trump as questions persist over the release of the so-called Epstein files — documents tied to the late financier’s criminal cases and connections with powerful figures.
What we don't know:
It is unclear what specific permit violations led to the removal of the Epstein statue, or whether the group will face penalties. The Secret Handshake has not said if it plans to replace or repair the artwork.
The Source: This report is based on information from NPR, eyewitness accounts from the National Mall, and statements from the Department of the Interior, along with archived reporting on Donald Trump’s past relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.