‘Best friends forever’: Who installed the Trump-Epstein statue in Washington?

A curious bronze statue titled “Best Friends Forever” has appeared on the east end of the National Mall in Washington, DC, reigniting conversations around President Donald Trump’s past links with Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender.

Unveiled on Tuesday, the satirical pop-up installation depicts Trump and Epstein holding hands, with one leg playfully lifted in the air. Since its sudden arrival, the piece has attracted crowds and quickly become a talking point in the capital.

According to USA Today, the surprise art is the work of a largely anonymous group called The Secret Handshake Project.

Here’s a closer look at what we know about the mysterious statue.

The 12-foot statue, built from foam, resin, wood, and wire, shows Trump and Epstein seemingly walking towards the Washington Monument.

Its base, painted to look like marble, carries three plaques. Two of them include excerpts from a birthday letter Trump is said to have sent Epstein, recently made public by the House Oversight Committee.

One plaque reads: “We celebrate the long-lasting bond between President Donald J Trump and his ‘closest friend’ Jeffrey Epstein.” Another marks “Friendship Month” and features two outstretched hands forming a heart.

BREAKING: This Trump / Epstein statue to honor “friendship month” was mysteriously placed on the national mall.

I love it. Don’t stop talking about Epstein. pic.twitter.com/agUHriF0eq

— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) September 23, 2025

The installation, which has permission from the National Park Service, is expected to remain on the Mall until Sunday evening.

This isn’t the first time the anonymous artists have used Washington as their stage. In the past, they’ve placed works like ‘Dictator Approved’ — a golden thumbs-up crushing the Statue of Liberty’s crown, and ‘Gold TV’, a multimedia piece showing Trump dancing with different figures, including Epstein.

A new piece of artwork, an 8 foot tall sculpture entitled “Dictator Approved” has been installed on the National Mall in Washington. DC. pic.twitter.com/FoQPOK0kHM

— Mama Chews (@MamaChews) June 19, 2025

According to USA Today, the latest work has been claimed by The Secret Handshake Project, a small group said to have fewer than five members.

In their statement, the group explained, “We’re a very small group of citizens who are using art, irony, and humour to express social commentary and spark political conversation in public spaces.”

White House responds to the statue

The White House reacted strongly to the sudden appearance of the artwork.

A spokesperson said, “Liberals are free to waste their money however they see fit — but it’s not news that Epstein knew Donald Trump, because Donald Trump kicked Epstein out of his club for being a creep.”

The statement continued, “Democrats, the media, and the organisation behind this statue knew about Epstein and his victims for years and did nothing to help them, while President Trump was calling for transparency and is now delivering on it with thousands of pages of documents. There’s very few people who have gone on the record and called Trump one of his good friends.”

Trump has said he ended ties with Epstein after discovering that the disgraced financier had exploited young women, including Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s most well-known sex trafficking victims, who worked at his Mar-a-Lago spa.

Trump ties to Epstein in spotlight

Earlier this month, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released a sexually suggestive letter to Epstein that was allegedly signed by Trump. The letter was part of a 50th birthday “birthday book” compiled for Epstein in 2003.

Trump has denied writing the letter or creating the accompanying drawing of a woman’s body surrounding the text.

Calls for more transparency about the government’s investigation into Epstein’s sex-trafficking network have grown, but the administration has so far refused to release additional documents.

Vice President JD Vance dismissed the allegations regarding the letter, claiming that Democrats were “concocting another fake scandal” to “smear President Trump with lies.”

Earlier this month, ahead of Trump’s second state visit to the UK, protesters staged dramatic demonstrations at Windsor Castle.

Trump is welcomed to the UK with this huge banner depicting a photo of him & Epstein at Windsor Castle because the people there can’t stand him! Store owners all over England are selling merchandise like plates,cups,blankets,etc with photos of these two on it as souvenirs. 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/0B4jQhGGQY

— Suzie rizzio (@Suzierizzo1) September 15, 2025

They placed fake merchandise featuring Trump and Epstein inside the castle gift shop, unfurled a 400-square-metre photograph of the two men outside the royal grounds, and even projected images of them onto the castle itself.

With input from agencies