In a bold act of political satire that’s reigniting national debate, a controversial bronze-colored statue depicting Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein holding hands has mysteriously reappeared on the National Mall—just days after being dismantled by authorities.
“Why Can’t We Be Friends?”: The Statue’s Shocking Return
Originally titled “Best Friends Forever,” the installation was quietly reassembled early Thursday morning near the U.S. Capitol, now bearing a new name: “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” According to an anonymous collective calling themselves the Secret Handshake, the piece is meant to “celebrate the long-lasting bond” between the former president and the late convicted sex trafficker .
Photos from the scene show joggers and tourists pausing to snap selfies with the provocative artwork, while others stood reading its plaque in stunned silence. Despite last week’s removal by the National Park Service for lacking proper permits, the group found a bureaucratic loophole to reinstall it legally.
How Did It Come Back?
Carol Flaisher, a Washington-based location manager hired by the artists, revealed the group exploited a little-known rule: if a First Amendment demonstration application isn’t explicitly denied within 24 hours, it’s automatically approved.
- First attempt: Statue installed without permit → removed
- Second attempt: Permit denied
- Third attempt: Time-stamped application submitted → no denial within 24 hours → statue reinstalled
“They did not want us to put it up, I guess,” Flaisher told The New York Times. “But this is the third attempt—and it’s still up.”
White House Responds
The Trump administration dismissed the artwork as a “waste of time” and reiterated its stance that Democrats and the media ignored Epstein’s crimes for years. A White House statement claimed Trump “has been calling for transparency” and is now “delivering thousands of pages of documents” related to the Epstein case .
However, critics point out that Trump’s Justice Department, under Attorney General Pam Bondi, has withheld key Epstein files—some of which reportedly mention Trump by name.
Public Reaction
Reactions on social media range from outrage to dark humor. Some view the statue as a necessary provocation in an era of political opacity; others call it disrespectful to Epstein’s victims. Either way, it’s become an unexpected tourist attraction amid a partial government shutdown that has left many federal sites unstaffed.
