Everyone needs a friend in their life— someone to laugh with and a shoulder to cry on in the best and worst times. While some pick a family friend, coworker, classmate or that person they are not exactly sure how they met to fill that role, most, if not all, meaningful friendships come from shared interests and hobbies. For President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, that shared interest was pedophilia and the degradation of women.
Early last week, a bronze statue depicting a joyful Trump and Epstein holding hands appeared on Washington, D.C.’s National Mall, behind the U.S. Capitol. In a move mirroring Trump’s recent attacks on free speech, the National Park Service wrongfully and swiftly removed the statue.
The 12-foot-tall statue, titled “Best Friends Forever,” was created by an anonymous group called the Secret Handshake. A plaque between the two men read, “In Honor of Friendship Month, we celebrate the long-lasting bond between President Donald J. Trump and his ‘closest friend,’ Jeffrey Epstein,” and featured two hands meeting to create a heart. It would normally be a touching notion if it were not a U.S. president and convicted pedophile joining hand-in-hand, in more ways than one.
The display is one of several statues created by the group criticizing Trump. Previous statues include a swirly poop on Nancy Pelosi’s desk, mocking Jan. 6 rioters and a thumbs-up crushing Lady Liberty, captioned, “Dictator Approved.” “Best Friends Forever” was designed to stir conversation around Trump’s full turnaround on releasing the Epstein files — and stir it did.
The “Epstein Files” are a conglomeration of documents amassed during two criminal investigations into Epstein when he was federally charged with sex trafficking. The documents, which largely remain classified, allegedly contain a list of his clients.
Trump is reported to be named in the files multiple times and was known to have a close friendship with Epstein for well over a decade until their falling out in 2004. While Trump originally campaigned to release the files, he has since indicated they will remain classified. This full reversal has rightfully prompted heavy criticism from both sides of the aisle and the House of Representatives to declassify parts of the files. Most recently, Prince Andrew and the world’s richest creep, Elon Musk, were revealed to have been in contact with Epstein at various points in time. Hopefully, with more names being brought into the public light, overdue justice can finally be done.
The statue was supposed to be left up until Sept. 28, but the National Park Service wrongfully removed it early. On Sept. 24, at around 5:30 a.m., NPS representatives pushed the statue over. Today, it sits in pieces in a government warehouse — a symbol for the future of American free speech.
The government claimed that there was an issue with the organization’s permit for the statute, but it did not officially list a specific reason. Even if a real issue was found, the organization was supposed to be given a 24-hour notice before the statue was forcibly removed. According to the Secret Handshake, that notice was never given.
While this unlawful removal is yet another attempt to erase the Epstein Files from the public’s mind, it also represents a blatant attack on free speech. Art, at its core, is a method of self-expression; it is used to connect across and within languages and cultures and has historically been used as a method of resistance against oppression.
In the U.S. alone, art has bolstered movements like feminist and anti-war protests and has influenced political responses to crises like the AIDS pandemic. Silencing art is silencing speech.
So far, Trump has targeted TV broadcasters, news anchors, and people who have spoken poorly about Charlie Kirk since his death and journalists. This incident is no different.
Whether it is a statue of Trump and Epstein, Jimmy Kimmel or a student, the White House has proven time and time again that it is willing to topple the free speech rights of anyone it thinks stands in its way.
