U.S. Park Police said Wednesday they’ve removed statues from the National Mall that depicted President Donald Trump and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein holding hands and skipping.
The artwork, entitled “Best Friends Forever,” was installed near the Capitol on Tuesday morning and quickly became a tourist attraction.
“In honor of friendship month, we celebrate the long-standing bond between President Donald J. Trump and his closest friend Jeffrey Epstein,” a plaque between the two statues read.
Other plaques under the figures made reference to the text of a racy 50th birthday note that was sent to Epstein using Trump’s name in 2003. Trump has denied sending or being involved with such a card, and filed a $10 billion defamation suit against The Wall Street Journal for reporting on its existence.
A note matching the Journal’s description was turned over to the House Oversight Committee earlier this month, and the paper’s publisher argued in a court filing this week the suit should be dismissed because the article is accurate.
A group calling itself “The Secret Handshake” claimed credit for the artwork in a statement to the Independent, and said it had a permit for the statues.
Elizabeth Peace, a spokesperson for the Department of the Interior, said in a statement, “The statue was removed because it was not compliant with the permit issued.”
Hellbound and Down 