Statue of Trump holding hands with Jeffrey Epstein removed from National Mall

First, it was the giant poop emoji statue. Now, it’s a statue of President Donald Trump holding hands with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who died in jail in 2019.

The new 12-foot-tall, spray-painted bronze statue was titled “Best Friends Forever,” and it appeared on the National Mall in front of the U.S. Capitol early Tuesday morning, the Washington Post reported.

It didn’t stand for long. The statue was removed Wednesday morning by U.S. Park Police despite it having a permit until 8 p.m. Sunday, the New York Times reported.

It’s the latest installation by an anonymous group of artists critical of the president. Each time they have erected a statue, the group has gotten a permit from the National Park Service to display the art.

The purpose for the artwork stated on the permit application is “to demonstrate freedom of speech and artistic expression using political imagery,” the Post reported.

The U.S. Park Police said in a statement that it and the National Park Service had removed the statue early Wednesday morning because it was not in compliance with the permit, though, the Times said.

A plaque at the base of the installation “In Honor of Friendship Month” said: “We celebrate the long-lasting bond between President Donald J. Trump and his ‘closest friend,’ Jeffrey Epstein.”

As I told a @WashingtonPost reporter on scene, new satiric statues of @POTUS @realDonald Trump & Jeffrey Epstein on the National Mall show the First Amendment continues to be upheld in one of our most sacred civic spaces: freedom of speech, expression, association, & the press. pic.twitter.com/fmFHZqoaFe

— Alexander B. Howard (@digiphile) September 23, 2025

The president’s relationship with Epstein, which began in the 1980s when they were neighbors in Florida, has repeatedly been cited as both Trump supporters and critics have called for the full release of files related to Epstein’s crimes.

The men sometimes appeared in public together, and Trump flew on Epstein’s jet numerous times.

When Epstein was arrested in 2019 on suspicion of sex-trafficking underage girls, Trump said: “I had a falling-out with him a long time ago. I don’t think I’ve spoken to him for 15 years. I wasn’t a fan.”

The Post has previously reported that there is no public evidence of inappropriate behavior by Trump related to Epstein.

The giant poop emoji satirical statue was the first in October 2024 — meant to “honor” Jan. 6 insurrectionists.

“This memorial honors the brave men and women who broke into the United States Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 to loot, urinate and defecate throughout those hallowed halls in order to overturn an election,” an accompanying plaque read.

Then, almost eight months later in June, a sequel statue arrived called “Dictator Approved” — an 8-foot-tall sculpture showing a gold-painted thumbs-up squashing the crown of the Statue of Liberty.

That statue was in response to the June 14 military parade and authoritarianism, according to a permit issued by the National Park Service, the Post said.

In response to the latest statue, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in an email that “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.”

“Democrats, the media and the organization that’s wasting their money on 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,” she said.