There’s a new statue on the east end of the National Mall for Washington DC residents and tourists to enjoy. The bronze statue shows two men frolicking, grinning wide and holding hands, each with a foot joyously kicked back.
“We celebrate the long-lasting bond between President Donald J. Trump and his ‘closest friend,’ Jeffrey Epstein,” a plaque at the bottom of the spray-painted bronze installation reads. A permit from the National Park Service will allow the statue to stay on the National Mall grounds through 8pm on Sunday.
The fabricator of the statue remains unknown, but it has artistic and thematic similarities to recent art pieces critical of the president.
Past sculptures on the National Mall that paid side-eyed tribute to Trump include a bronze pile of poop perched on a congressional desk to “honor” January 6th protestors, and a statue titled “Dictator Approved,” featuring a golden thumbs up crushing the Statue of Liberty’s crown and the base featuring approving quotes of Trump from Vladimir Putin, Jair Bolsonaro, Kim Jong-un and Viktor Orbán.
The sculpture’s spotlight on Trump’s past relationship with the convicted sex trafficker underscores what has been a particularly persistent thorn in the president’s side, and has caused fissures in the Trump’s typically united Maga base.
While the president has worked to quash interest into the two’s former friendship, the issue continues to surface again and again.
An alleged letter from Trump to Epstein in the latter’s 50th birthday book included a drawing of a nude woman’s torso asserting that the two had “certain things in common” and that “enigmas never age”. Trump is far from the only notable presence in Epstein’s birthday book and flight logs, with other big names including the former president Bill Clinton and attorney Alan Dershowitz.
Lines from the alleged birthday letter are printed verbatim on the statue’s plaques – one beneath Trump’s feet, one beneath Epstein’s and another on the third honoring “Friendship Month,” that features two outstretched hands forming a heart
The president offered the press a scathing response to 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,” a statement from the White House read.
