Govind Tekale
A 12-foot statue depicting Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein holding hands appeared on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on September 23, 2025. Created by an anonymous art collective calling itself “The Secret Handshake,” the installation stands on the east end of the National Mall near the U.S. Capitol, with the Washington Monument visible in the distance.
Bronze-Colored Figures Draw Crowds
The statue shows Trump and Epstein smiling, standing on one leg, and holding hands. The installation – made from foam, resin, wood, and wire, finished to look like bronze – has three plaques accompanying it. One reads “In Honor of Friendship Month” while the others reference excerpts from a controversial birthday note allegedly written by Trump to Epstein, which was recently released by the House Oversight Committee.
Tourists and locals have gathered around the statue, many taking photos and discussing the installation. The bronze-colored figures have quickly become a talking point for visitors to the Mall.
Permit Details
National Park Service records show the installation has been permitted to remain on display until 8pm on Sunday, September 28, 2025. The permit was issued through standard NPS procedures for temporary installations on federal land.
According to the permit application, the stated purpose for the artwork is “to demonstrate freedom of speech and artistic expression” using political imagery.
White House Response
A White House spokesperson, Abigail Jackson, issued a statement regarding the statue: “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.”
Public Reactions
Digital rights advocate Alexander B. Howard told a Washington Post reporter at the scene that the “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.”
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Some social media users have questioned who approved the installation, while others have referenced demands for the release of documents linked to Epstein and Trump.
Document References
The plaques on the statue reference material from Epstein’s 50th “birthday book,” which was recently made public by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee. One plaque quotes a message that reads in part, “A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.”
Trump has denied authoring the birthday note and has sued The Wall Street Journal over its reporting on the matter.
First Amendment Context
The National Mall is a longstanding forum for protected political expression. The National Park Service has permitted the installation and authorities are monitoring the site.
According to the group’s anonymous representative, they “like the idea that September is unofficially called Friendship Month” and that Trump has “quite a few friends throughout his life” and “one of his friends” was Epstein, “so we wanted to celebrate that with a statue of what that friendship might feel like.”
Visitor Information
The statue will remain in place on the National Mall until 8pm on September 28, 2025, when the permit expires. After that date, The Secret Handshake Project must remove the installation according to NPS requirements.
Nearby Metro stations include Federal Center SW and Capitol South for those wishing to view the installation before its removal.
The 12-foot statue of Trump and Epstein appeared on the National Mall on September 23, 2025. Created by The Secret Handshake, it depicts the two holding hands with plaques referencing their alleged friendship. White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson called it a waste of money while noting Trump had “kicked Epstein out of his club for being a creep.” The statue will remain until September 28 when its National Park Service permit expires.
