A statue of PresidentDonald Trumpand late sex offenderJeffrey Epsteinholding handsis back on display in D.C.
In September, an anonymous group called The Secret Handshake unveiled a 12-foot piece ofTrump and Epstein holding handsin a prancing position, with a tongue-in-cheek reference to Friendship Month. The group said the National Park Service toppled, damaged and removed the statue without warning, days before it was scheduled to come down. The Department of the Interior said it was not compliant with the permit, and thestatue was eventually returnedto the National Mall for a limited time.
On Nov. 13, the day after House Democrats released newemails from Epsteinalleging Trump "knew about the girls," the statue was put up at a new home. The group told USA TODAY in an email that the statue will be outside theBusboys and Poetscafe on 14th & V for at least a few days. The cafe did not respond immediately to requests for comment, but posted a picture of the statue on its Instagram story, with the caption "where art & politics collide!"
The statue's organizers told USA TODAY in a statement they hope it will spark conversation following the emails' release.
Live updates:New Epstein emails intensify records debate as Trump pressures GOP lawmakers.
A statue of President Donald Trump and the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was unveiled Sept. 23, 2025 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. A plaque below the figures states "In Honor of Friendship Month." It's the Secret Handshake Project's third such anti-Trump installation since June 2025." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Trump, Epstein hold hands in sculpture on National Mall 'In Honor of Friendship Month'
What was in the recently released Jeffrey Epstein emails?
TheHouse Oversight Committeereleased thousands of pages of documents from the Epstein estate on Nov. 12. The House Democrats started the day pointing toemails from Epsteinwhere he alleges Trump "knew about the girls," and another saying Trump spent hours with one of the victims.
The release came as Congress reconvened toreopen the government, and a bipartisan effort toforce a voteon releasing theEpstein filesgained enough signatures.
"These emails prove absolutely nothing other than thatPresident Trumpdid nothing wrong," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a Nov. 12 press briefing. Trump also took to Truth Social to call the controversy,as he has before, a hoax.
"The Democrats are trying to bring up the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax again because they'll do anything at all to deflect on how badly they've done on the Shutdown, and so many other subjects,"Trump said. "Only a very bad, or stupid, Republican would fall into that trap."
Epstein, Trump friendship statue was previously toppled by National Park Service
Controversy over Trump and Epstein had roiled the Trump administration and divided Republicans for months when a statue of the two men by The Secret Handshake was put up on the National Mall. The art installation was intended to prompt conversation about the president's relationship with the late sex offender, the group said.
The Secret Handshake told USA TODAY they are a small group of citizens using art and humor to prompt political discourse. The group had previously erectedthe so-called "Dictator Approved" piece, an 8-foot-tall sculpture of a hand squashing the crown of the Statue of Liberty while making a thumbs-up gesture; and the "Gold TV statue" multimedia installation, in which a golden TV showed images of Trump dancing, including with Epstein.
A National Park Service permit obtained by USA TODAY shows the Epstein and Trump statue was originally supposed to be on display on the National Mall from Sept. 22 through the evening of Sept. 28. But The Secret Handshake said NPS representatives appeared around 5:30 a.m. Sept. 24, toppled the statue and took it to a government warehouse. Footage shared by the group shows someone identifying himself with NPS telling people behind the camera the statue was not compliant because it is too big, before workers push the statue over.
The organizers said they did not receive any warning and called it "unbelievable." Eventually, the group fixed the statue, and after about a week of working with NPS on the permit, the statue wasreturned to the National Mall for a limited time.
Contributing: Jennifer Sangalang, USA TODAY Network
Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at KCrowley@usatodayco.com. Follow her onX (Twitter),BlueskyandTikTok.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Trump, Epstein holding hands statue on display again after email dump
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