{"id":383,"date":"2025-09-24T21:07:41","date_gmt":"2025-09-24T21:07:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fasstnews.com\/?p=383"},"modified":"2025-09-24T21:07:41","modified_gmt":"2025-09-24T21:07:41","slug":"donald-trump-responds-to-statue-showing-him-holding-hands-with-jeffrey-epstein","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fasstnews.com\/?p=383","title":{"rendered":"Donald Trump Responds To Statue Showing Him Holding Hands With Jeffrey Epstein"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Donald Trump has condemned a new statue on the National Mall that depicts him holding hands with Jeffrey Epstein, dismissing the installation as a partisan stunt while reiterating his claim that he banished the financier from his private club years before Epstein\u2019s 2019 arrest. \u201cLiberals are free to waste their money however they see fit \u2014 but it\u2019s not news that Epstein knew Donald Trump, because Donald Trump kicked Epstein out of his club for being a creep,\u201d White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement in response to the artwork\u2019s appearance in Washington, where it drew crowds and swift national attention.<\/p>\n<p>The statement added: \u201cDemocrats, the media, and the organization that\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The spray-painted bronze statue, titled \u201cBest Friends Forever,\u201d was placed early Tuesday on the east end of the Mall near the U.S. Capitol. It shows the former president and the late financier smiling and clasping hands, each with one foot kicked back as if mid-frolic.<\/p>\n<p>A plaque at the base reads: \u201cWe celebrate the long-lasting bond between President Donald J. Trump and his \u2018closest friend,\u2019 Jeffrey Epstein.\u201d The National Park Service issued a permit allowing the piece to remain on site until 8 p.m. on Sunday; the permit application described the purpose as \u201cto demonstrate freedom of speech and artistic expression using political imagery.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The installation is the latest in a series of unsanctioned protest artworks aimed at Trump by an anonymous collective that has previously placed pieces on the Mall, including one labeled \u201cDictator Approved\u201d that appropriated laudatory lines about Trump from authoritarian leaders.<\/p>\n<p>The authorship of the new statue has not been officially confirmed by authorities, but outlets that were tipped off to its placement reported receiving messages from a person claiming to be part of the group. The materials used in the 12-foot piece include wood, foam and resin beneath a metallic finish, according to reports that cited the group\u2019s description of its fabrication.<\/p>\n<p>Two additional plaques installed with the statue reference an alleged birthday greeting to Epstein that House Democrats made public this month, and which was first described in a Wall Street Journal article now at the center of Trump\u2019s defamation lawsuit against the newspaper.<\/p>\n<p>The Journal reported that the greeting included a crude drawing and lines of invented dialogue suggesting affinities between the two men; Trump has denied authoring any such note and is seeking damages. The paper asked a federal judge this week to dismiss the suit, calling it a threat to press freedom; the filing argued the greeting posted by Congress was \u201cidentical\u201d to the letter the Journal reported on in July.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered\"><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" class=\"\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1970576356003250269&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fthehooknews.com%2F2025%2F09%2F24%2Fdonald-trump-responds-to-statue-showing-him-holding-hands-with-jeffrey-epstein%2F&amp;sessionId=2cf03e86999cff557f2b2dc80a53d43143f1cecd&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=500px\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-tweet-id=\"1970576356003250269\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Trump\u2019s response to the statue reprises themes the White House and his allies have emphasized since renewed scrutiny of Epstein\u2019s associations erupted this summer: that Trump distanced himself from Epstein long before the financier\u2019s sex-trafficking case, that he barred Epstein from Mar-a-Lago, and that there is no public evidence linking Trump to criminal conduct involving Epstein.<\/p>\n<p>The Washington Post noted that when Epstein was arrested in 2019, Trump said, \u201cI had a falling-out with him a long time ago. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve spoken to him for 15 years. I wasn\u2019t a fan.\u201d The Post also reported that \u201cthere is no public evidence of inappropriate behavior by Trump\u201d related to Epstein.<\/p>\n<p>The statue\u2019s text and timing are calibrated to evoke that history. One plaque quotes the line, \u201cWe celebrate the long-lasting bond,\u201d while another reproduces excerpts of the purported 2003 \u201cbirthday book\u201d entry ascribed by the Journal to Trump and now contested in court.<\/p>\n<p>News outlets that spoke with a representative of the artist collective reported the group chose September because it is colloquially dubbed \u201cFriendship Month,\u201d and said the piece was meant to visualize \u201cwhat that friendship might feel like.\u201d The National Park Service permit, cited by local and national outlets, confirms the display window and the stated intention to make a political statement on public ground.<\/p>\n<p>Trump\u2019s social ties to Epstein date to the late 1980s and early 2000s, when they lived and entertained in the same Palm Beach and New York circles. In 2002, Trump told New York magazine: \u201cI\u2019ve known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy. He\u2019s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As president in 2019, after Epstein\u2019s arrest, Trump publicly reversed the tone, saying he had not spoken to Epstein in roughly 15 years and \u201cwasn\u2019t a fan,\u201d and more recently has said he ejected Epstein from Mar-a-Lago over conduct involving club staff. The Independent, which reported on the statue\u2019s appearance, highlighted the 2002 remark, while the Post recorded the later repudiation.<\/p>\n<p>The White House statement on Tuesday sought to fold the Mall installation into a broader defense of the administration\u2019s posture on records tied to Epstein, asserting Trump has \u201ccalled for transparency\u201d and has overseen the release of \u201cthousands of pages of documents.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The claims have not quelled calls from critics and some supporters for additional disclosures, but they underscore the political backdrop against which the statue appeared. In recent days, the House released material it said came from Epstein\u2019s estate, and the Justice Department has described its document releases as consistent with legal obligations while rejecting conspiracy claims about a secret \u201cclient list.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The artists behind \u201cBest Friends Forever\u201d have avoided personal attribution, telling reporters they preferred that the work \u201cspeak for itself.\u201d In interviews reported by national outlets, the collective linked the statue to a series of satirical pieces lampooning Trump or his supporters, including an installation last year that spoofed a January 6 tableau and a summer piece that riffed on foreign strongmen\u2019s praise for Trump. Reporters said the individual claiming authorship provided details about the placement and construction that were consistent with past appearances, though his identity was not independently verified.<\/p>\n<p>Reaction on the Mall ranged from curiosity to anger, with onlookers photographing the piece and reading the plaques as park rangers monitored the area. The Park Service permit allows expressive installations that do not damage grounds or obstruct traffic, and in this case specifies a removal time on Sunday evening.<\/p>\n<p>Similar pop-up artworks have been allowed in recent months, including an unrelated tribute that placed a gold-toned Trump figure with a Bitcoin motif on the grounds. The agency did not immediately respond to questions about security or whether additional applications had been filed for related displays.<\/p>\n<p>The figure of Epstein\u2014who died by suicide in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial\u2014has remained a volatile presence in U.S. political culture, and the Mall installation ensured his name and image would again be pressed into a contest over Trump\u2019s record and associations.<\/p>\n<p>The White House\u2019s phrasing on Tuesday framed the artwork as a partisan provocation and pointed to the claim that Trump expelled Epstein from Mar-a-Lago, a detail included in the administration\u2019s messaging for months. Trump\u2019s lawsuit over the Journal\u2019s reporting, now facing a dismissal motion, keeps the alleged birthday note\u2014and by extension, the question of how Trump\u2019s relationship with Epstein is memorialized\u2014before a federal judge.<\/p>\n<p>The statue\u2019s emergence also coincides with congressional skirmishing over what more, if anything, should be disclosed from government files connected to Epstein and his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell, now serving a 20-year sentence.<\/p>\n<p>While Trump and some allies have at times pledged broad transparency, official releases have been piecemeal and heavily caveated, and the Justice Department has stated that additional disclosures could compromise privacy or investigative equities. The White House on Tuesday leaned into the claim that the administration has \u201cdelivered\u201d records; opponents dispute both the volume and substance of what has been made public to date.<\/p>\n<p>What the Mall piece achieves, at least temporarily, is to fuse a running political argument with a public, physical object that places Trump and Epstein side by side within sight of the Capitol dome.<\/p>\n<p>Its plaques quote and paraphrase language that has surfaced in litigation and congressional publications; its posture mirrors archival images of the two men smiling in the same social orbit two decades ago; and its presence on federal land invokes First Amendment protections that allow critical art to be staged in the nation\u2019s front yard.<\/p>\n<p>For Trump, the official reply was to dismiss the creators\u2019 motives and to emphasize his claim of having severed ties with Epstein years ago. For passersby on Tuesday, the piece offered a provocation and a photo opportunity\u2014one the Park Service says will end at 8 p.m. Sunday, when the statue is due to be removed.<\/p>\n<p>Trump\u2019s distancing language has remained consistent since Epstein\u2019s 2019 arrest\u2014\u201cI had a falling-out with him a long time ago\u2026 I wasn\u2019t a fan\u201d\u2014even as references to their past acquaintanceship circulate in court filings, congressional releases and activist art.<\/p>\n<p>The White House\u2019s line on Tuesday, delivered in the statement that framed the statue as a waste of money, folded that history into a broader rebuttal: that it is unfair to conflate knowing Epstein with participating in his crimes, and that the administration\u2019s record on disclosures proves its commitment to transparency. The installation\u2019s authors offered no counter-statement beyond the gleaming figures and plaques they left in place. On the Mall, art and politics were allowed to meet until the permit clock runs out.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Donald Trump has condemned a new statue on the National Mall that depicts him holding&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":384,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-383","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fasstnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/383","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fasstnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fasstnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fasstnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fasstnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=383"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/fasstnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/383\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":385,"href":"https:\/\/fasstnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/383\/revisions\/385"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fasstnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/384"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fasstnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=383"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fasstnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=383"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fasstnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=383"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}