Trump-Epstein "Best Friends Forever" Statue Removed From DC's National Mall

A statue depicting former President Donald Trump and deceased financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was convicted of sex offenses, was removed Wednesday from Washington's National Mall after being secretly installed.

The installation, which appeared Tuesday, featured life-sized bronze-painted figures of Trump and Epstein on white pedestals, smiling at each other with raised arms and legs in a dancing pose. A plaque identified the artwork as "Best Friends Forever."

According to multiple media outlets including NPR, a collective calling themselves "The Secret Handshake" claimed responsibility for the unauthorized installation.

An Interior Department spokesperson explained that "the statue was removed because it was not compliant with the permit issued."

U.S. Park Police removed the artwork before dawn Wednesday, loading it onto a truck and transporting it away, as documented in social media videos.

This installation represents the latest artistic attempt to highlight Trump's former association with Epstein. Last week, authorities arrested four individuals for projecting images of Trump with Epstein onto Windsor Castle during the president's state visit to the United Kingdom.

While Trump has acknowledged knowing Epstein socially in the past, he has maintained that their relationship ended well before Epstein's 2019 death in custody.

Earlier this month, House Democrats released what they claim is a birthday note from Trump to Epstein written over two decades ago containing the phrase "May every day be another wonderful secret." The White House has disputed the letter's authenticity.