A mysterious bronze statue called “Best Friends Forever” has popped up on the east end of the National Mall in Washington, DC, showing United States President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, as his past connection to the deceased sex offender continues to rumble on in public discourse.
On Tuesday, the satiric pop-up statue, which shows the two men holding hands with one leg in the air, was captioned, “In honour of friendship month”.
“We celebrate the long-lasting bond between President Donald J. Trump and his ‘closest friend’, Jeffrey Epstein,” a plaque on the installation read.
While there was no immediate claim to the statue, the artwork follows a series of installations that have been critical of Trump in Washington, displayed by an anonymous group.
In June, another anti-Trump statue popped up on the National Mall, this time titled “Dictator Approved”, and showcased an eight-foot-tall sculpture with a gold thumbs up crushing the head of the Statue of Liberty.
But in response to the statue, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told The Washington Post that “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,” Jackson wrote in an email.
Trump’s connection to Epstein, a former sex offender who died in jail in 2019, has caused a furore among his MAGA base since Trump returned to office in January, infuriating him, with more pressure on case files related to Epstein to be released.
Earlier in September, a US congressional panel released a copy of an alleged “birthday book” that was given to Epstein to celebrate his then-50th birthday.
Within the 238-page book containing messages and photos with friends of the former financier, there was a letter with a signature similar to Trump’s.
Trump has denied that he penned a lascivious birthday message to Epstein amid the sustained scrutiny of his links to the convicted sex offender. Trump is also suing The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times for their allegations and coverage of his involvement with Epstein.
Vice President JD Vance slammed accusations of Trump’s involvement in the letter and accused Democrats of “concocting another fake scandal” to “smear President Trump with lies”.
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