A controversial art collective has installed a new statue on the National Mall in Washington D.C., depicting Donald Trump and the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein locked in an intimate embrace. The work is the latest in a series of provocative public installations aimed at forcing a public reckoning with the former president’s long-standing, well-documented association with the disgraced financier.
The bronze statue, titled “King of the World,” recreates the iconic “Titanic” pose from the 1997 film, with Trump’s arms outstretched as he holds Epstein. It was unveiled on March 10, 2026, alongside ten large banners featuring photographs of the pair. A plaque beneath it reads: “The tragic love story between Jack and Rose was built on luxurious travel, raucous parties, and secret nude sketches. This monument honors the bond between Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, a friendship seemingly built on luxurious travel, raucous parties, and secret nude sketches.” The installation is scheduled to remain until March 13.
It is the work of an anonymous group calling itself “The Secret Handshake,” which uses a go-between to obtain permits from the National Park Service. The collective states its aim is to use art, irony, and humour for social commentary. This is not their first intervention on the subject; their activities represent a sustained campaign of political street theatre.
A Pattern of Provocative Art
In September 2025, the group installed a 12-foot-tall foam, resin, wood, and wire statue, painted to look like bronze, of Trump and Epstein holding hands and frolicking. Titled “Best Friends Forever,” it was removed by U.S. Park Police within 24 hours, reportedly for a permit violation, though the artists claimed they were not given proper notice. It was temporarily reinstalled on the National Mall from October 2 to 5 that year.
Then, in January 2026, they erected a ten-foot-tall replica of a birthday card allegedly sent from Trump to Epstein in 2003. The card features the outline of a young woman’s torso and includes the text: “We have certain things in common, Jeffrey… a pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret,” alongside what appears to be Trump’s signature. Visitors were encouraged to add their own messages.
Trump has denied writing the note. “As I have said all along, it’s very clear President Trump did not draw this picture, and he did not sign it,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated when the card first surfaced publicly last year.
The Epstein-Trump Relationship Under Scrutiny
The installations tap into renewed and intense scrutiny of the relationship between the two men, fuelled by the ongoing release of documents from the Department of Justice related to the Epstein investigation. Trump and Epstein had a social and professional relationship that began in the late 1980s, involving luxurious travel, raucous parties, and multiple flights on Epstein’s private jet in the 1990s. Epstein once claimed to be Trump’s “closest friend.”
Trump has consistently denied any knowledge of Epstein’s criminal activities, which involved the sexual abuse of underage girls. He has offered various accounts of their falling out, suggesting it occurred around 2004 or 2007 for reasons ranging from Epstein “stealing” spa employees from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club to simply being “a creep.” However, Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin, who has reviewed unredacted files, has claimed that documents suggest Epstein was a guest at Mar-a-Lago and was never asked to leave, contradicting Trump’s assertions.
The document releases have brought specific, uncorroborated allegations to light. Some files include an accusation from a woman alleging she was sexually assaulted by Trump in the 1980s when she was a minor. Trump has denied this, with the White House labelling the claims “completely baseless.”
The scale of Trump’s mention in the files is vast. While an initial trove of redacted documents released by the DOJ contained his name approximately 5,300 times, Rep. Raskin told Axios that in the unredacted versions, “Trump’s name… it appears more than a million times. So it’s all over the place.” He emphasised this frequency does not, in itself, indicate wrongdoing.
Conspiracy Theories and “Distraction” Narratives
The relentless focus on the Epstein files has even spawned a conspiracy theory that seeks to link it to international events. Some commentators, particularly within pro-Iran propaganda networks, have dubbed the recent conflict in Iran as “Operation Epstein Distraction.” This theory posits that military strikes are intended to divert public attention from the ongoing document releases.
Disinformation researchers have noted the circulation of fake videos amplifying this narrative and have moved to debunk them. The theory remains a fringe narrative but underscores how the Epstein case, and the powerful figures connected to it, continues to fuel wider political discourse and speculation.
