Scandalous sculpture appears near Capitol: Trump and Epstein holding hands

A bronze sculpture "Best Friends Forever" appeared on the National Mall in front of the Capitol on Tuesday, depicting Donald Trump and financier Jeffrey Epstein holding hands. The authors of the installation remained anonymous.

This was reported by the Washington Post.

The plaque under the statue reads: "We celebrate the long-lasting bond between President Donald J. Trump and his 'closest friend,' Jeffrey Epstein."

How the White House reacted to the sculpture of Trump and Epstein

The sculpture was allowed to remain on the mall until Sunday, noting in the application that the goal is "to express freedom of speech through political art."

The work has already caused various reactions - from admiration from residents of the capital, who called it an example of freedom of expression, to sharp criticism from the White House. The administration representative stated that "liberals can spend money as they want," but recalled that it was Trump who kicked Epstein out of his club.

What is known about the Epstein case

In 2007, Jeffrey Epstein was accused of pimping and involving minors in the sex trade. He made a deal with the investigation and served only 13 months in prison, and prosecutor Alex Acosta hid the fact of the agreements from the victims.

In 2018, the Miami Herald published an investigation, revealing about 60 victims.

In 2019, the court found the concealment illegal, Epstein was arrested again, and Acosta resigned from his post as US Secretary of Labor. On August 10 of the same year, the billionaire was found dead in his cell - officially he committed a suicide.

As a reminder, US lawmakers said they had received a copy of a book of birthday cards from notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Among them is a 2003 card with a picture of a naked woman, signed by current US President Donald Trump.