Overview

• The 12-foot satirical statue depicting President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein holding hands was installed Sept. 23 near the U.S. Capitol by an anonymous collective called The Secret Handshake Project.
• The installation featured three plaques, including a 'Friendship Month' dedication and excerpts attributed to Trump from a 2003 birthday book page that the House Oversight Committee published on Sept. 8; Trump denies authoring the note and has sued the Wall Street Journal over its reporting.
• The White House denounced the artwork, saying liberals can waste their money as they wish and asserting Trump expelled Epstein from his club while claiming the administration is releasing thousands of pages of related documents.
• U.S. Park Police removed the statue early Sept. 24 for permit noncompliance, reversing expectations from some early reports that it would remain on display through the week.
• The Secret Handshake Project has staged other anti-Trump installations on the Mall this year, and the episode unfolded as pressure continues over Epstein-related records following DOJ and FBI statements finding no evidence of a 'client list.'