A 3.6-meter-tall statue of former US President Donald Trump and the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, depicting them holding hands, has been removed from the National Mall in Washington, DC.
The bronze sculpture, which was installed Tuesday by a group of protest artists calling themselves "The Secret Handshake," had a plaque that read:
"In honor of Friendship Month, we celebrate the long-standing relationship between President Donald J. Trump and his 'closest friend,' Jeffrey Epstein."
The statue was removed by the U.S. Park Police on Wednesday. According to a U.S. Department of the Interior spokesman, the installation did not meet the terms of the permit.
A member of the artists' collective told NPR,
"The parks department — which is likely acting under the influence of the Trump administration — was trying to find excuses to penalize us."
To The Daily Beast, a spokesperson added,
"This is a direct example of the Trump administration suppressing free speech, even though it was legally authorized, simply because they are afraid of what the Epstein files might contain."
The permit for the statue, issued on September 16, authorized the display until Sunday. However, the Park Service argued that the statue exceeded the maximum height limit of 6 feet (1.8 meters) allowed under the permit.
According to the artists, despite the authorities being authorized to cancel the permit “at any moment,” they should have been given 24 hours’ notice – which, they say, was not the case. The statue was removed without warning, “in the middle of the night.”
The Epstein Files and the Political Reaction
There have been persistent calls from Democrats, some rebellious Republicans and supporters of the MAGA movement for the full release of the files the Justice Department and FBI have on Epstein.
Epstein's death in prison was ruled a suicide, but this has been questioned by conspiracy theories that claim he was killed to keep the names of his high-profile clients, who were suspected of being involved in the sex trafficking of minors, from being revealed.
In July, the Justice Department announced that the Epstein case was closed and that the documents would not be made public. This prompted a fierce reaction, including from within the administration.
According to the Wall Street Journal, US Attorney General Pam Bondi privately complained to Trump about the political consequences of this decision and accused FBI Director Kash Patel and his deputy Dan Bongino of trying to sabotage her.
Since then, following an order from the House Oversight Committee, two sets of documents have been released. One of them contains Epstein's so-called "birthday book," in which Trump is said to have written him a personal message.
The message read:
"Riddles never get old... A friend is a wonderful thing. Happy birthday! And may every day be a wonderful secret."
The message was accompanied by a drawing of a naked woman. Trump has denied that he wrote it and has sued the Wall Street Journal for defamation, seeking $15 billion in damages.
Reactions from Britain
Lord Mandelson, who also wrote a dedication to Epstein in his birthday book – calling him his “best friend” – was removed from his post as British ambassador to the US after further details of their friendship were published.
Released emails show that Mandelson wrote to Epstein after his arrest for exploiting underage prostitution:
“Your friends stand by you and love you.”
After Epstein was convicted, Mandelson encouraged him to seek early release.
The Duchess of York also withdrew from several British charities after a 2011 email was leaked in which she called Epstein her "supreme friend," despite his conviction.
The stance of Trump and the White House
Trump has reacted angrily to questions about his ties to Epstein, telling a reporter:
"You're still talking about Jeffrey Epstein? This guy's been talked about for years. Unbelievable."
He has called the allegations against him of an affair with Epstein "a Democratic hoax," claiming their relationship ended long before Epstein was convicted of sex crimes.
The White House has declined to comment officially. However, in a previous statement, spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said:
“Liberals are free to spend money however they want – but it’s not news that Epstein knew Donald Trump, because Trump kicked him out of his club for acting like a weirdo.”
