A 12-foot-tall statue of President Donald Trump and the late financier Jeffrey Epstein holding hands has reappeared in Washington DC, despite having been removed twice by federal authorities. The statue was spotted outside the Busboys and Poets restaurant in the U Street Corridor.
The artwork, titled 'Best Friends Forever,' first appeared on the National Mall on September 23 with a permit valid until September 28. However, it was removed a day later by park officials who said it was not compliant with the permit. The statue returned to the Mall less than a week later after a new permit was obtained.
The reappearance coincides with the release of thousands of messages from Epstein's estate by lawmakers, including emails mentioning Trump. Trump did not send or receive any of the emails and has not been accused of any wrongdoing. The group behind the statue, The Secret Handshake, said their piece was akin to 'much like Trump’s name in an Epstein email dump.'
The controversy over Epstein's case has persisted since his death by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking. The Trump administration initially said no further disclosures would be made, but Congress later subpoenaed documents. Recent emails released by the House suggested Epstein told Ghislaine Maxwell that Trump spent hours at his home with a victim, and another message indicated Trump knew about Epstein's abuse.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the latest release as a 'hoax' designed to distract from the President's achievements. The Trump administration has held private meetings to discuss how to handle the fallout.
