Statue of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein holding hands appears on National Mall
Examining the newly released Epstein files
On Tuesday, the House Oversight Committee publicly released files from the Justice Department related to the sex trafficking investigations into Jeffrey Epstein and his former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell. Kaelan Deese joins LiveNOW’s Austin Westfall to discuss the latest. Deese is a Justice Department reporter with the Washington Examiner.
A new statue depicting President Donald Trump and the late financier Jeffrey Epstein holding hands and skipping has appeared on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
The 12-foot installation shows the two men smiling on pedestals, hands clasped, in what organizers described as a celebration of "Friendship Month." It is the latest in a series of unusual displays on the Mall, including a gold statue of Trump holding a Bitcoin and an oversized bunch of bananas.
Why a Trump and Epstein statue appeared on the National Mall
The anonymous artist collective calling itself The Secret Handshake claimed responsibility for the work in a statement to The Independent. The group, which said it has fewer than five members, explained that the statue was meant to spotlight Trump’s ties to Epstein.
A plaque at the base reads, "In honor of Friendship Month, we celebrate the long-standing bond between President Donald J. Trump and his closest friend Jeffrey Epstein." Two additional plaques reference a birthday letter Trump allegedly wrote to Epstein, which included a crude drawing.
What we know:
According to a National Park Service permit, the statue is allowed to remain on display until Sept. 28 at 8 p.m.
The figures are constructed from foam, resin, wood and wire. Videos and images show crowds gathering near the installation shortly after it appeared Tuesday morning.
A man photographs a statue depicting President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein holding hands on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The 12-foot installation appeared this week and is permitted to remain until Sept. 28. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
The White House denounced the display, with a spokesperson telling The Independent: "Liberals are free to waste their money however they see fit – but it’s not news that Epstein knew Donald Trump, because Donald Trump kicked Epstein out of his club for being a creep."
What we don't know:
It remains unclear who specifically within The Secret Handshake group designed and financed the statue. Authorities have not said whether they plan to remove the installation before the Sept. 28 permit deadline.
It is also unknown whether the collective intends to unveil similar statues in other cities, or if this display is a one-time protest.
Trump’s past relationship with Jeffrey Epstein explained
The backstory:
Trump and Epstein were frequently photographed together at social gatherings in the 1990s and early 2000s. Epstein attended Trump’s 1993 wedding to Marla Maples, and Trump once described him as a "terrific guy" in a 2002 interview with New York Magazine.
Recordings released in 2023 captured Epstein referring to Trump as his "closest friend." Trump has since said their relationship soured in the mid-2000s, claiming he distanced himself from Epstein after he "stole" young female employees from one of his clubs.
Trump has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and has said he has not spoken to Epstein in years before his 2019 arrest. Epstein died by suicide in federal custody that year while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Big picture view:
The statue arrives amid renewed public focus on the release of Justice Department files related to Epstein. Earlier this month, the DOJ published tens of thousands of documents, though lawmakers said many were already public.
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.
Survivors of Epstein’s abuse and some members of Congress have criticized the limited disclosures, with some creating independent databases to track Epstein’s connections.
RELATED: Trump files lawsuit against Wall Street Journal over story about Epstein birthday letter: Reports
The anonymous installation on the National Mall reflects how Epstein’s legacy — and his associations with powerful figures — continues to fuel controversy years after his death.
Editor's Note: A previous version of this story referring to President Donald Trump as former President Donald Trump has been corrected.
The Source: This report draws on information from The Independent, Fox News Digital, and publicly available National Park Service permit records, along with statements from the White House and archived media reports on Trump and Epstein.