A cheeky statue of President Donald Trump holding convicted intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein’s hand is again on the Nationwide Mall, lower than per week after it was eliminated.
The piece—renamed “Why Can’t We Be Friends?”—captures Trump and Epstein mid-gesture, every with a foot lifted and a hand flung into the air. A plaque between them reads: “In Honor of Friendship Month: We celebrate the long-lasting bond between President Donald J. Trump and his ‘closest friend,’ Jeffrey Epstein.”
The piece was initially titled “Best Friends Forever,” however the artists modified the identify after it briefly disappeared.
A photograph of President Donald Trump’s alleged birthday card to Jeffrey Epstein, as obtained by the Home Oversight Committee.
“In the end, we thought Trump was the guy INTO rebuilding old statues of racist relics, and—as a racist relic himself—assumed he would want to rebuild his own image,” Secret Handshake, the nameless group behind the statue, informed Axios Thursday. “Not sure what changed?”
The group stated it plans to maintain the statue on show by way of Monday night.
Trump, after all, denies ever being near Epstein, calling their alleged ties a “hoax.” Nonetheless, the proof is tough to disregard.
In September, after reviewing the Epstein property information, the Home Oversight Committee posted what it stated was a birthday card from Trump to Epstein. The cardboard, that includes a girl’s torso drawn over obvious dialogue between the 2 males, reportedly learn: “We have certain things in common, Jeffrey. Happy Birthday—and may every day be another wonderful secret.”
It’s straightforward to see why Trump would need to distance himself. The cardboard made many individuals uneasy: A September YouGov ballot for The Economist discovered that 61% of People thought of it “disturbing,” whereas simply 13% discovered it “playful.” Even amongst Trump voters, 35% thought of it disturbing, whereas simply 25% thought of it playful.
Unsurprisingly, the White Home isn’t thrilled concerning the statue’s return.
In an announcement to Every day Kos, a spokesperson for the Division of the Inside, which oversees the Nationwide Park Service, made it clear that the company wasn’t precisely thrilled with the statue both, framing its presence as a possibility to push a political jab on the federal shutdown.
President Donald Trump is seen with Jeffrey Epstein at Mar-a-Lago in 1992.
“The only people holding hands in D.C. right now are Schumer and Jeffries after they shut down the government to push their radical agenda,” they wrote.
In keeping with CNN, Secret Handshake rebuilt the statue after it was dismantled and broken final week, and marks from the injury are nonetheless seen. The Inside Division initially eliminated the 12-foot statue as a result of it was “not compliant with the permit issued,” however a allow to have it reinstated was accredited on Sept. 30, simply days earlier than the shutdown.
The Secret Handshake has a historical past of viral stunts. In 2024, it put in “The Resolute Desk,” a bronze duplicate of former Democratic Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s desk, topped with a basketball-sized pile of bronze poop, mocking the Jan. 6, 2021, riot on the Capitol.
Different works embrace “The Donald J. Trump Enduring Flame,” a tiki torch statue satirizing Trump’s protection of 2017 white supremacist marchers, and “Dictator Approved,” which reveals a golden hand crushing Woman Liberty’s crown.
The group isn’t the one one making a reputation for itself by trolling Trump. In Scotland, the place Trump headed for a weekend of {golfing} in July, a whole bunch of protesters staged quite a few demonstrations—together with rappelling off a bridge, waving Palestinian flags, and shouting for Trump to be despatched packing.
Many have made trolling Trump their full-time gig. However till the Epstein information are totally launched, this saga—and these statues—aren’t going anyplace.
