Photos of a massive statue of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein frolicking together have gone viral, and it's left people stumped over one particular detail.
Early on Tuesday morning (23 September), a spray-painted 12-foot bronze statue titled 'Best Friends Forever' that depicts Trump and Epstein holding hands was placed on the National Mall in front of the US Capitol.
It's the latest in a series of politically-charged sculptures critical of the president that have been placed in Washington and elsewhere by an anonymous group of artists, called The Secret Handshake.
"We celebrate the long-lasting bond between President Donald J. Trump and his 'closest friend,' Jeffrey Epstein," one of three plaques at the base of the statue reads.
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The other two plaques contain excerpts from the birthday letter Trump allegedly wrote to Epstein for his 50th birthday, which the White House has denied.
A copy of the alleged letter, which featured a hand-drawn figure of a naked woman along with the president’s reported signature, was made public this month by the House Oversight Committee.
Trump has previously denied any involvement with the letter, claiming that 'no authentic letter or drawing exists'.
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It didn't take long for both critics and supporters alike to rush to social media to share their thoughts on the snaps, with one Instagram user asking: "How do u even pull this off and how much did u invest into this I'm genuinely fascinated?"
"HOW TF DO U JUST DROP OFF AN ANONYMOUS STATUE WTF!" questioned a second, while a third chimed in: "How? When? This has got to be the greatest trolling of 2025!!!!"
A fourth quipped: "This is one of the boldest things I’ve ever seen."
"Are we living in the real world anymore? Asking for a friend," lamented a fift,h while another declared: "Bruh no way this is real. What in the world."
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And a final Instagram user hit out: "Wait is this real!?"
Well, dear reader, it most certainly is real.
According to the Washington Post, the National Park Service issued a permit for the sculpture that allows it to remain on the Mall until 8.00pm on Sunday (28 September).
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The permit application states that the purpose behind the installation is 'to demonstrate freedom of speech and artistic expression using political imagery'.
The White House clearly isn't happy about the statue, with spokesperson Abigail Jackson writing in a statement: "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 organisation 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."
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The friendship between Trump and Epstein is well-documented, with the pair photographed together at several parties in the 1990s and early 2000s, including at Trump’s 1993 wedding to Marla Maples at the Plaza Hotel in New York City.
Trump also referred to Epstein as a 'terrific guy' in a 2002 New York Magazine article.
Additionally, recordings of Epstein, obtained by the Daily Beast last year, captured Epstein describing himself as Trump’s 'closest friend'.
Epstein was arrested on sex trafficking charges in 2019 and died by suicide behind bars that same year while awaiting his trial.
Trump has never been accused of wrongdoing in connection with the Epstein case.
Topics: Donald Trump, Jeffrey Epstein, Politics, US News, News, Social Media
Rhiannon Ingle