In the predawn hours of September 24, 2025, the National Mall in Washington, D.C., became the stage for a striking drama about art, politics, and the boundaries of free speech. A bronze-painted statue titled "Best Friends Forever," depicting former President Donald Trump and the late financier Jeffrey Epstein holding hands and skipping, was swiftly removed by the National Park Service (NPS), less than 24 hours after its surprise installation. The artwork, which had been permitted to remain until Sunday evening, was gone before most of the city awoke, leaving behind a wave of controversy and a fractured sculpture.
The statue, installed on September 23, 2025, was the work of a provocative art collective known as "The Secret Handshake." The group, which has made a name for itself with political installations on the National Mall, intended the display as a commentary on both the nature of political friendships and the right to artistic expression. The plaque beneath the figures read, "In Honor of Friendship Month, we celebrate the long-lasting bond between President Donald J. Trump and his 'closest friend,' Jeffrey Epstein." The two men were depicted smiling, hands linked, each with a foot kicked back and an arm raised, as if caught in gleeful mid-frolic.
According to NPR, the group had obtained a permit from the National Park Service, reviewed by multiple outlets, which explicitly allowed the statue to remain on site until 8 p.m. on Sunday, September 28. The permit stated that any revocation would require 24 hours' written notice. Yet, as dawn broke on September 24, eyewitnesses saw U.S. Park Police removing the statue by truck, without the group receiving any such warning. "Instead, they showed up in the middle of the night without notice and physically toppled the statue, broke it, and took it away," a member of The Secret Handshake told NPR.
The Department of the Interior, which oversees the NPS, confirmed the removal but cited only a vague "noncompliance with the permit issued" as the cause. Spokesperson Elizabeth Peace told CNN, "The statue was removed because it was not compliant with the permit issued," but declined to specify what aspect was at issue. The group suspects that the dispute centered on the statue's height, which may have exceeded the six-foot limit when combined with its base. "We submitted everything correctly, but there was a discrepancy about the height that ended up on the permit," said Patrick, one of the group's organizers, in an interview with CNN. "Regardless, their permit clearly states that if they choose to revoke a permit, they are to provide 24 hours written notice. Instead, they showed up unannounced in the middle of the night, broke it, and hauled it away."
Photos provided by The Secret Handshake and published by CNN and FOX TV Stations show the aftermath: the statue dismantled and severely damaged, Trump's head split in half and the figures ripped from their pedestals. Carol Flaisher, an independent contractor who has handled permits for the group and other events on the National Mall for decades, called the height discrepancy "probably a typo" and "beyond nonsense." She told CNN, "No one has ever said a word about this," and reported that, by the time of publication, she had yet to receive any official notice of the removal from the NPS or Department of the Interior.
For The Secret Handshake, the removal was more than a bureaucratic dispute—it was, in their view, a direct affront to free speech. "The statue doesn’t matter," Patrick told CNN. "What it represents and it being broken down is what matters." The group compared the incident to threats former President Trump has made against late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel and the ABC network, framing it as part of a broader crackdown on dissent. In a statement to FOX TV Stations, the group said, "This is a literal example of the Trump administration toppling free speech when it has been legally permitted and approved because they are scared about whatever Trump is hiding in the Epstein files."
The White House, when asked by NPR about the removal, sidestepped the issue but did not hide its disdain for the installation. "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," said spokesperson Abigail Jackson. This response echoed Trump's long-standing effort to distance himself from Epstein, a convicted sex offender who died in federal custody in 2019. Trump and Epstein were known to socialize in the 1980s and 1990s at parties in New York and Florida. In a 2002 interview, Trump described Epstein as "a terrific guy," but later insisted their friendship ended before Epstein's 2006 indictment for soliciting prostitution. After Epstein's 2019 arrest on sex trafficking charges, Trump repeatedly said he had not spoken to him in years and described himself as "not a fan."
The relationship between Trump and Epstein, and the lingering questions about their association, remain a source of public fascination and political friction. As NPR reported, Trump's campaign promise to release the so-called "Epstein files"—documents tied to the late financier’s criminal cases and connections with powerful figures—has yet to be fulfilled, drawing criticism from both sides of the aisle. In August, the House Oversight Committee subpoenaed thousands of pages of records from the Justice Department regarding its investigation into Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, and released some of those documents earlier this month. Among them was a copy of a 50th birthday book for Epstein, containing a crude image signed by Trump. Trump has dismissed the note as "fake" and sued the Wall Street Journal for defamation over its reporting.
The "Best Friends Forever" statue is just the latest in a series of satirical installations by The Secret Handshake. In 2024 and again in June 2025, the group placed other politically charged sculptures on the National Mall—among them, "The Resolute Desk," featuring a pile of feces atop former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's desk, and "The Donald J. Trump Enduring Flame," referencing the 2017 Charlottesville rally. According to NPR and CNN, the group had never encountered issues with permits or removals until this week. "Before this, they've never been anything but friendly to work with," Patrick told CNN.
As for the future of the broken statue, The Secret Handshake has not announced whether it will attempt a repair or reinstallation. The Department of the Interior has not clarified whether the group faces penalties or if further action will be taken.
The events surrounding the statue's abrupt removal have reignited debate over the limits of free expression in public spaces, particularly when art intersects with politics and power. For now, the shattered remains of "Best Friends Forever" stand as a testament to the fraught relationship between protest, bureaucracy, and the ever-shifting boundaries of American discourse.
