Trump-Epstein Statue Removed From National Mall After Stirring Uproar

Washington, D.C., briefly hosted one of the most provocative pieces of political art in recent memory. On September 23, 2025, a statue depicting President Donald Trump holding hands with the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein appeared on the National Mall, sparking outrage, debate, and immediate attention from authorities.

The life-sized bronze-painted figures, titled “Best Friends Forever,” showed Trump and Epstein grinning, their arms linked, with one leg raised in a playful dance pose. A plaque beneath the figures read: “In Honor of Friendship Month.” The installation was orchestrated by The Secret Handshake Project, a guerrilla art collective known for its satirical anti-Trump displays across the U.S.

Rapid Removal by Authorities

By early the following morning, U.S. Park Police dismantled the installation, citing permit violations. Video shared on social media showed officers loading the piece onto a truck under the cover of darkness. A spokesperson for the Department of the Interior confirmed the statue was not authorized and therefore could not remain on federal land.

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The removal did little to quell the buzz online. Images of the sculpture quickly went viral, with critics calling it a “brilliant takedown” of Trump’s past associations and supporters dismissing it as a smear tactic.

Statue with President Donald Trump holding hands with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on the National Mall

A History of Targeted Satire

This marks the third installation by The Secret Handshake Project since June 2025. Earlier works included Trump-inspired statues and public projections highlighting his one-time friendship with Epstein, a relationship Trump has repeatedly downplayed.

While Trump has admitted to knowing Epstein socially in the past, he has claimed to have cut ties with him years before Epstein’s 2019 death in jail. Nonetheless, resurfaced photos, alleged correspondence, and activist interventions continue to link the two in the public imagination.

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Art, Politics, and Outrage

Public art as political commentary is not new, but few pieces strike as controversial a chord as linking Trump to Epstein. For supporters of the installation, the statue was a symbolic reminder of uncomfortable truths. For detractors, it was an act of character assassination.

What’s undeniable is that The Secret Handshake Project achieved its goal: to provoke conversation and generate headlines. Whether seen as satire, activism, or political performance art, the Trump-Epstein statue underscores the potent mix of imagery, scandal, and politics in America’s cultural battles.

As the nation heads toward the 2026 election cycle, such guerrilla art interventions are unlikely to disappear. If anything, they may become more frequent—and more polarizing.