1 of 6 | Statues of President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein holding hands are displayed Tuesday at the National Mall in Washington by an anonymous group. Photo by Bridget Erin Craig/UPI
Twelve-foot statues of President Donald Trump and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein holding hands and frolicking appeared on the National Mall early Tuesday morning.
They were erected, according to a plaque, by an anonymous group called The Secret Handshake.
Placed just across the street from Union Square Park, the statues honor, perhaps sarcastically, the friendship of Trump and Epstein during Friendship Month, which was created by Oddfellows, an international fraternal ordered established in England.
“We celebrate the long-lasting bond between President Donald J. Trump and his ‘closest friend,’ Jeffrey Epstein,” the middle plaque reads, along with “There must be more to life than having everything.”
Epstein died by suicide in jail on Aug. 10, 2019, while awaiting federal charges of sex trafficking. He had been convicted on state charges of soliciting prostitution in Florida in 2008.
“This is a hoot,” said District of Columbia resident Lelaina Brandet said. “It seems there’s other daily distractions, whether calling a marginalized group a terrorist organization or attacking some random vote to distract from what pretty much everybody from both sides wants — which is to see the release of the Epstein files.”
On the left of the installation, Trump is displayed with another plaque quoting the infamous birthday card to Epstein, which reads in part, “A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.”
Epstein’s plaque reads “Nor will I, since I also know what it is. Yes, we do come to think of it. As a matter of fact, it was clear to me the last time I saw you.”
The statues have drawn attention of tourists, stopping out of curiosity of what a crowd was there for and lining up to take pictures. People stood reading the plaques and took it all in, calling the paper mâché-and-paint sculpture impressively done. Some were lured there after seeing it on social media..
“I think it’s a really good reminder about how artists are the ones that always push back on fascists first, on fascist governments,” D.C. resident Matt Gordon said.
The location of the statuescaught the attention of federal workers on their lunch break, given the proximity to many government buildings. Federal employees described it as “hilarious,” and a way of “accountability.”
Nadine Seiler, a Maryland resident who stopped at the statues in between protests, said “Everything counts, because a lot of people in this country are just going about their lives without even paying attention to what’s happening.”
The Trump-Epstein statue appeared just a week after a 12-foot golden Trump statue whose faceplate called him the “Bitcoin president.” It was displayed anonymously at the same location for about a day before being taken down.
“It is great to have these artists that keep pushing the focus of ‘Hey, let’s not forget this is what America wants right now.’ We love it. It’s fantastic,” resident Brandet said..
Robin Galbraith and Donna Powell, two D.C. residents who also stopped in between protests like Seiler, felt the commitment to statement art like the statues helps bring justice to those affected by the Epstein files and accountability.
It raises awareness in a way that caters to people’s imagination using art. It has always been used for resistance, raise awareness, and those women [Epstein’s victims] deserve justice.”
