A statue depicting US President Donald Trump holding hands with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein was dismantled by authorities just a day after it appeared on the National Mall in Washington.The artwork, titled “Best Friends Forever”, showed the pair frolicking with the US Capitol as a backdrop.A plaque beneath the figures read, “In honour of Friendship Month, we celebrate the long-lasting bond between President Donald J Trump and his ‘closest friend,’ Jeffrey Epstein.” Photos showed the bronze-coloured figures a dozen feet high.The National Park Service confirmed early Wednesday that the statue was removed because it was not compliant with its permit. Elizabeth Peace, a spokesperson for the department of the interior, said, “The statue was removed because it was not compliant with the permit issued”, according to CNN.The installation was organised by activist art group The Secret Handshake, which has previously placed provocative displays on the National Mall. Patrick, one of its organisers, was quoted by CNN as saying that their security team saw the statue being dismantled around 5:30 am (local time). He claimed the removal was linked to a dispute over the sculpture’s height, arguing it exceeded the six-foot limit stated in the permit once mounted on its base. “Regardless, their permit clearly states that if they choose to revoke a permit, they are to provide 24 hours’ written notice. Instead, they showed up unannounced in the middle of the night, broke it, and hauled it away,” he said, as per CNN.The group provided photographs of the dismantled statue, showing Trump’s head split in half. Patrick said its destruction symbolised broader attacks on free expression, comparing it to Trump’s threats against television host Jimmy Kimmel. “The statue doesn’t matter. What it represents and it being broken down is what matters,” he added.According to NBC News, plaques at the installation also made reference to a sexually suggestive 50th birthday note allegedly sent to Epstein in 2003 using Trump’s name. Trump has denied writing it and has filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal for reporting on the card. The paper’s publisher argued in court this week that the report was accurate. The note, now with the House Oversight Committee, has added to scrutiny of Trump’s past friendship with Epstein.The White House dismissed the installation as a partisan stunt. Spokesperson Abigail Jackson said, “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.” She added that Democrats and the media had long ignored Epstein’s victims while Trump had called for transparency.Epstein, who pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting an underage girl and later faced sex trafficking charges in 2019, died by suicide in custody, fuelling conspiracy theories. Trump, who once described Epstein as a “terrific guy” in a 2002 New York magazine interview, has since distanced himself, repeatedly urging supporters to move on from the case.The installation follows other protest art by The Secret Handshake, including statues titled “The Resolute Desk”, “The Donald J. Trump Enduring Flame” and “Dictator Approved”, according to the New York Times.
