Overview
- The National Park Service confirmed it removed the nearly 12‑foot installation depicting President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein holding hands, citing a violation of the display’s permit.
- The anonymous collective The Secret Handshake says it had authorization through Sunday evening and contends rangers dismantled the piece without the permit’s required 24‑hour written notice, leaving the work damaged.
- Permit documents reviewed by CNN listed a 1.83‑meter height, which the group and its permit contractor say may reflect a disputed or mistaken measurement once the base was included; Interior officials have not answered questions about any notice provided.
- The foam-and-resin piece featured plaques quoting fragments of a purported 2003 Trump birthday note to Epstein, a document released by a House panel that Trump disputes as inauthentic and has challenged in court.
- The White House criticized the installation, reiterated that Trump expelled Epstein from Mar‑a‑Lago, and rejected claims of a close friendship, as the episode renewed public attention to recent Epstein disclosures and long-standing records of their past association.