Authorities have removed a statue of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein that appeared near the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
On Tuesday, Sept. 23, a large bronze-colored statue of the president and his late former friend, convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, was installed on the National Mall, according to The New York Times, CNN and The Washington Post. The figures were depicted holding hands and seemingly dancing, each with a foot kicked behind them and their arms raised, smiling at one another.
By Wednesday morning, U.S. Park Police had removed the installation, per the Times.
The statue was titled “Best Friends Forever,” with a plaque on its base noting it was erected “in honor of Friendship Month.”
The message on the plaque read: “We celebrate the long-lasting bond between President Donald J. Trump and his ‘closest friend,’ Jeffrey Epstein.” It included several quotes from a birthday note Trump allegedly sent Epstein in 2003.
The statue had a permit to remain at the National Mall until 8 p.m. on Sept. 28, according to CBS affiliate WUSA9. The permit reportedly included a clause allowing authorities to revoke permission as long as the person who procured it was notified at least 24 hours in advance.
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The Park Police told WUSA9 that the statue violated the permit but did not specify the nature of the violation.
The installation arrives amid ongoing public pressure on the Trump administration to release all files related to Epstein’s crimes and death and to increase transparency on the matter. The president is known to have had a past friendship with the convicted sex offender.
The statue is part of a recent trend of politically themed art installations in the area. In June, a statue called “Dictator Approved”—depicting a giant golden thumbs-up crushing the Statue of Liberty—appeared on the National Mall.
The following week, another golden statue featuring an eagle atop an old-fashioned television set was installed nearby. The TV screen played a looping video of Trump dancing awkwardly, interspersed with clips from his campaign rallies and footage of the president with Epstein.
