Trump‑Epstein Statue Reinstalled on National Mall
A bronze-painted satirical statue depicting President Donald Trump holding hands with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was reinstalled on the National Mall on Oct. 3, 2025 after being removed by U.S. Park Police in the pre-dawn hours on Sept. 24. The Secret Handshake activist group says it had obtained an NPS permit to display the work (initially Sept. 23–28), complained the removal lacked the 24-hour written notice required by the permit, repaired the damaged sculpture and sought a new permit before re‑erecting it; NPS and the White House provided limited comment, and the episode occurred amid a federal government shutdown that furloughed many Park Service staff.
Politics
Public Space
🔍 Key Facts
- The statue first appeared Sept. 23, 2025 and was removed by U.S. Park Police before dawn on Sept. 24, 2025 despite an NPS permit that the group says covered Sept. 23–28.
- The Secret Handshake recovered the statue in pieces, repaired it, said a later permit was revoked by phone, and then reinstalled the repaired piece on Oct. 3, 2025 in view of the U.S. Capitol.
- Named officials and entities in coverage include the National Park Service (permit authority), U.S. Park Police (who removed the statue) and White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson (who commented to NPR about Trump and Epstein).