Trump-Epstein Statue Reinstalled Near U.S. Capitol

A 12-foot faux-bronze statue depicting President Donald Trump and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein holding hands — titled Best Friends Forever or Why Can’t We Be Friends? and created by anonymous group The Secret Handshake — was installed on the National Mall Sept. 23–24 as a satirical protest. The National Park Service removed the piece within a day, citing permit noncompliance (a height/base discrepancy), while the artists say it was toppled and damaged without the required 24-hour notice and accuse officials of politically motivated interference. The group retrieved and repaired the cracked statue, obtained a new First Amendment demonstration permit via a D.C. location manager, and reinstalled it on 3rd Street just north of the U.S. Capitol, saying it will remain for a limited time. The installation includes plaques reproducing an alleged salacious birthday poem/letter linked to Trump and Epstein, which has renewed public and congressional pressure for transparency around Epstein-related records. Park and Interior Department spokespeople have declined to elaborate beyond citing permit noncompliance, and the episode has reignited debate over free speech and public-art permitting on federal grounds.