A controversial statue of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein holding hands has sparked outrage and a sharp response from the former president.

The statue, which suddenly appeared on the National Mall earlier this week, depicts the two men smiling and "frolicking" together, accompanied by plaques honoring what it calls their "long-lasting bond."

The statue was placed to mark "Friendship Month" and includes a plaque reading: "We celebrate the long-lasting bond between President Donald J. Trump and his 'closest friend,' Jeffrey Epstein."

The installation didn't go unnoticed. A spokesperson for Trump responded quickly, telling TMZ: "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."

The statues and plaques refer to a message Trump allegedly wrote in Epstein's 50th birthday book, which includes cryptic notes about "secrets" and "enigmas."

One plaque reads: "A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday—and may every day be another wonderful secret." Trump has denied ever being involved with the birthday book.

Critics Call Trump's Epstein Document Release Misleading

According to TNR, the White House response accused Democrats and media figures of hypocrisy, saying they ignored Epstein's victims while Trump "was calling for transparency."

The spokesperson added, "President Trump is now delivering on it with thousands of pages of documents."

However, critics argue that most of those documents were already publicly available before Trump's administration re-released them.

The Department of Justice concluded in July that there was no secret "client list," despite public pressure to release more information.

Trump's own version of his past friendship with Epstein has shifted over time.

While he admitted knowing Epstein and once described him as "a lot of fun," he later claimed to have banned him from Mar-a-Lago after finding out he was acting inappropriately toward young women.

In other interviews, Trump stated that the falling out was due to stolen employees or business disputes.

The statue has reopened long-standing questions about the former president's ties to Epstein, a convicted sex offender who died in jail in 2019 under suspicious circumstances.

Though Trump has not made a personal comment on the statue itself, his administration has made it clear they view the artwork as political theater. "This is a stunt," the spokesperson said. "And a waste of money."

Tags
Donald trump, Jeffrey Epstein