A large replica of a sexually suggestive birthday message to Jeffrey Epstein, featuring a drawing of a naked woman’s torso and what appears to be President Trump’s signature, was placed on the National Mall in Washington overnight on Sunday.
The appearance of the 10-foot-tall installation near the United States Capitol was timed to coincide with what would have been Mr. Epstein’s 73rd birthday on Tuesday. Mr. Epstein, a convicted sex offender and disgraced financier, was 66 when he died in prison in 2019.
One side of the mock card has the greeting “Happy Birthday To A ‘Terrific Guy!’” — an apparent reference to a description of Mr. Epstein that Mr. Trump gave to New York magazine in 2002. The other side features the rendering of the female torso with “Donald” written below her waist and the cryptic message: “may every day be another wonderful secret.”
The display was the latest installation by an anonymous group of artists known as the Secret Handshake, which has been putting a spotlight on the relationship between the president and Mr. Epstein.
In a statement on Tuesday, a White House spokeswoman criticized the display, while saying Democrats in Congress solicited funds from Mr. Epstein. “Kudos to these Trump Deranged Liberals for constantly inventing new ways to light Democrat donor money on fire by spreading fake news,” the spokeswoman, Abigail Jackson, said.
Mr. Trump has repeatedly insisted that he did not create or sign the drawing, which the House Oversight Committee released in September and was originally included in a book that was presented to Mr. Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003. It was among documents turned over by Mr. Epstein’s estate to the committee, which had subpoenaed them.
A portion of the permit for the display, issued by the National Park Service, says that the “birthday card,” measuring 12 feet by 10 feet, would be installed on the National Mall.
At the site, a sign invites visitors to write a message to the administration, to “celebrate the birthday of President Donald Trump’s ‘closest friend,’ Jeffrey Epstein, with a larger-than-life tribute to their intimate correspondence.” The message was placed near mock boxes brimming with redacted files.
The Secret Handshake said in a statement on Monday that the display had a permit to remain in place until Friday.
The National Park Service and the Interior Department did not respond to requests for comment on Tuesday.
The same group claimed responsibility for another Epstein-themed installation at the National Mall in September.
At the time, bronze-colored statues of Mr. Trump and Mr. Epstein, frolicking and holding hands, were placed on the Mall, with an inscription that read “Best Friends Forever.” It was briefly removed for not being in compliance with a permit and was reinstalled in October.
Mr. Trump has downplayed his ties to Mr. Epstein, while coming under increased public scrutiny after the Justice Department failed to release all the files in the Epstein case by Dec. 19, a deadline set by Congress.
Christine Hauser is a Times reporter who writes breaking news stories, features and explainers.
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