A new art installation on the National Mall imagines Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein in iconic film roles, in a bit of satirical casting. The 12-foot golden statue shows the longtime friends in Titanic's "king of the world" pose, the Guardian reports, with Trump standing behind Epstein on a mock ship's prow facing the Washington Monument. The anonymous art collective the Secret Handshake claims credit, or responsibility; plaques compare the men's social ties to the movie's opulent romance, while nearby banners show photos of the two with the altered slogan "Make America Safe Again" and a partially blacked-out Justice Department seal.
It's the third statue of the president and the convicted sex offender that the artists have added to the Mall, per the Washington Post. One of them holding hands went up in September, was removed, and went up again. The Mall often hosts protest and other political art. The White House criticized the piece as partisan, and said Democrats "continued to solicit money and meetings from Epstein after he was convicted as a sex offender." The identity of the artists behind the "Jack" and "Rose" statue is not publicly known, and the end date for the display is blacked out on a copy of the permit the Post saw.
"The tragic love story between Jack and Rose was built on luxurious travel, raucous parties, and secret nude sketches," a plaque reads, per the Guardian. "This monument honors the bond between Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, a friendship seemingly built on luxurious travel, raucous parties and secret nude sketches." It drew spectators after appearing Tuesday morning, with some liking the idea of focusing attention on the Epstein files. One said, "It's not really helping the conversation," while another appreciated the humor but said the real answer is politicians doing their jobs. Donna Powell said it counters President Trump's effort to distract with the war on Iran. "A lot can be said with art," she said.
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