Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
The Trump-Epstein statue is back on the National Mall, days after its abrupt removal
A statue of President Trump and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein holding hands returned to the National Mall on Thursday, in full view of the U.S. Capitol.
(
Andrew Harnik
/
Getty Images
)
A statue of President Donald Trump skipping hand-in-hand with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has returned to D.C.'s National Mall, over a week after it was abruptly removed in the pre-dawn hours.
The bronze-painted statue, originally titled Best Friends Forever but since renamed Why Can't We Be Friends?, turned heads when it appeared in front of the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 23. Its plaque celebrates "the long-lasting bond between President Donald J. Trump and his 'closest friend,' Jeffrey Epstein."
Trump has sought to downplay his friendship with the disgraced financier, who died in jail in August 2019. He maintains they had a falling out sometime before Epstein was indicted for soliciting prostitution in 2006, at least in part due to Epstein poaching employees — including young women — who worked at Trump's Mar-a-Lago spa.
Last week, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told NPR in a statement that "it's not news that Epstein knew Donald Trump, because Donald Trump kicked Epstein out of his club for being a creep."
Support for LAist comes from
A group called The Secret Handshake — which was behind other satirical anti-Trump statues in D.C. over the past year — obtained a permit from the National Park Service (NPS) to display the friendship statue through Sept. 28, according to records shared with NPR. But U.S. Park Police hauled it onto a truck and carried it away before sunrise on Sept. 24, less than a full day after it appeared.
A Secret Handshake group member, who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation from the Trump administration, told NPR over email at the time that they did not get 24 hours' written notice as required by the permit.
A spokesperson for the Department of the Interior told NPR that the statue was removed "because it was not compliant with the permit issued," though did not specify how. The White House did not respond to NPR's questions about the statue's removal.
The group was later able to recover the statue — with the figures ripped from their pedestals and broken into pieces — and set about trying to re-erect it. One week and one failed attempt later, Why Can't We Be Friends? returned to the Mall on Thursday.
Onlookers take pictures of the statue on Thursday, with the Washington Monument visible behind them.
(
Andrew Harnik
/
Getty Images
)
"Just like a toppled confederate general forced back onto a public square, the Donald Trump Jeffrey Epstein statue has risen from the rubble to stand gloriously on the National Mall once again," The Secret Handshake member wrote in an email to NPR.
Support for LAist comes from
The statue is permitted to remain on the Mall through 8 p.m. local time on Oct. 6.
This is actually the third permit the group has received for this statue. Late last week, the group told NPR it had applied for and received a second permit to install the repaired statue in the same spot. It said they were on their way to the Mall when NPS suddenly revoked their permit by phone "without explanation." That prompted the group to release 3D-printable versions of the statue online.
NPR has reached out to NPS for comment but did not hear back by publication time. The federal government has shut down since last week's events, putting thousands of the agency's employees on furlough.
The Trump administration continues to face calls to release the "Epstein files," a trove of documents from various investigations into Epstein that then-candidate Trump had vowed to release if reelected. His refusal to do so has prompted criticism and pressure from Congress, with the House Oversight Committee subpoenaing — and publishing — thousands of pages of documents in its own investigation.
A NPR/PBS News/Marist poll released Wednesday found that 61% of Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of the Epstein files, with 77% in favor of their release with the victims' names removed.
Copyright 2025 NPR
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
There are no reports of injuries after a blast and ensuing fire, which could be seen for miles on Thursday night. -
The FCC voted to end E-Rate discounts for library hotspot lending and school bus Wi-Fi. -
About half the Pacific Airshow’s 2025 lineup has been grounded because of the federal government shutdown. -
Scientists say La Niña is likely, but that doesn’t necessarily mean a dry winter in Southern California. -
According to a grand jury report the contractor took advantage of strained relations and political pressures to “force” the city to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to settle disputes. -
Administrators say the bargaining units should be dismissed, or that they have no standing. One campus is going after the federal agency in charge of union activity.
Best of LAist