Overview

• An anonymous collective called The Secret Handshake installed a roughly 12‑foot piece near the Capitol depicting President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein holding hands, with plaques quoting fragments of a contested birthday letter.
• The Interior Department confirmed the removal, saying the exhibit violated permit terms, while the group says officials focused on a height discrepancy to justify revocation.
• A permit reviewed by CNN required 24 hours of written notice before revocation, and Interior has not said whether such notice was provided.
• The group says rangers dismantled the work before dawn without written notice and returned it damaged, sharing images showing Trump’s head split in two.
• The installation referenced a letter Trump denies as authentic and is suing over, and a White House spokesperson defended Trump, saying he expelled Epstein and rejecting claims they were close friends.