The large bronze statue of President Donald Trump and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein holding hands has returned to the National Mall after being knocked over by the president’s supporters.
On September 23, the statue was placed right in front of the Capitol, showing Trump’s connection to Epstein, who died by suicide in a Manhattan jail in 2019.
However, the U.S. Park Police quietly took down the bold bronze sculpture around 5:30 a.m. the next day, breaking a permit given by the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) to “The Secret Handshake,” the anonymous group behind the installation.
At the time, a spokesperson for The Secret Handshake called the statue’s removal “a clear example of the Trump administration trying to stop free speech when it has been legally allowed and approved because they are afraid of what Trump is hiding in the Epstein files.”
“We found out later that some people in the parks department, most likely from the Trump administration, were trying to find reasons to say we weren’t following the rules,” the spokesperson said.
Right now, the statue is standing tall on 3rd Street—at least for now.
“Just like a toppled Confederate general forced back onto a public square, the Donald Trump-Jeffrey Epstein statue has risen from the rubble to stand proudly on the National Mall once again,” the spokesperson said in an interview with the Daily Beast on Thursday.
According to the group, they have been working behind the scenes for weeks to get the statue back up.
The department didn’t give more details.
But even if it had broken the rules—something the permit obtained by the Daily Beast doesn’t seem to support—DOI is still required to notify the artists at least 24 hours before removing a permitted installation.
This time, the group says they are using a “Freedom of Speech” permit.
“There is a special rule that if they get it and don’t outright say no within 24 or 48 hours, then it is considered approved,” the artist said.
“So it’s almost like a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ situation.”
Interestingly, the U.S. government shutdown, which started on Wednesday, might be helping the statue.
Fewer federal workers means fewer people available to take it down again.
“The shutdown means I don’t think they have the manpower to break their own rules right now,” the spokesperson said.
Still, they say some people inside the system are helping to protect the project.
“Genuine shout out and thanks to the ranger we’ve been working with at the Parks Department,” he said.
“They are true believers in free speech despite a lot of noise.”
The artists knew their latest piece wouldn’t please the administration.
A plaque on the statue says: “In Honor of Friendship Month we celebrate the long-lasting bond between President Donald J. Trump and his ‘closest friend,’ Jeffrey Epstein.”
Other plaques include quotes from Trump’s own 2003 birthday card to Epstein.
Trump has denied writing the message.
Trump has insisted he and Epstein were never close friends, repeating this several times.
He said he distanced himself from Epstein after he was listed as a sex offender in 2008, shortly after Epstein pleaded guilty to a charge of soliciting a minor for prostitution.
But his claims haven’t stopped the growing public pressure to release the so-called “Epstein files.”
When the statue first appeared last month, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson called it political theater.
In June, an eight-foot sculpture called “Dictator Approved,” showing a Trump-like figure crushing Lady Liberty’s crown, appeared on the National Mall.
A week later, it was replaced with a golden “television” statue showing Trump dancing with Epstein.
“In June, the White House actually praised themselves for allowing free speech to stay up in reference to our ‘Dictator Approved’ statue,” the artist said.
“I guess a lot has changed since then.”
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