A statue of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein that generated attention from the public—and condemnation from some Republican officials—has officially returned (again) to Washington, D.C., as politicians and reporters alike sift through a newly released tranche of emails related to Epstein.
“Much like Trump’s name in an Epstein e-mail dump, we have popped our head out to say an unannounced hello,” the statue’s anonymous makers told ARTnews in an email.
The statue was titled The Secret Handshake upon its debut in September and later renamed Why Can’t We Be Friends? by its artists. It shows Trump and Epstein gleefully holding hands. Accompanying them are several plaques, including one reading, “A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday—and may every day be another wonderful secret.”
Those words allude to a message that was allegedly written by Trump to mark Epstein’s birthday. The message, which was released by the House Oversight Committee, appears to feature those words inside a nude woman’s body. Trump denied having written the message.
The statue made its premiere on the National Mall in September as Democrats demanded the release of more files related to Epstein. The artists said at the time that the sculpture was meant to “celebrate” Trump’s ties to Epstein.
Not long after it went on view, the work was removed; the National Parks Service said it did not meet the permitted size specifications for a statue of its kind. After the artists called the removal an instance of “toppling free speech,” the statue returned to the Mall.
Now, the sculpture can be seen outside the 2021 14th Street NW location of Busboys and Poets Art Cafe, which describes itself as “a community where racial and cultural connections are consciously uplifted.” This time, the artists said they renamed the work Best Friends Forever.
The newly released emails appear to provide a fuller view of Trump ties to Epstein. In one email released by House Democrats, Epstein said Trump had “spent hours at my house.” In another, Epstein said Trump “knew about the girls.”
Trump has vehemently denied this, claiming that he was not aware of the convicted sex offender’s dealings. House Republicans have also released many other messages that do not refer to the President. Republicans claim that Democrats selected to only release emails that revolve around Trump.
