Dozens of people gathered on the National Mall near the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday with their phones out, snapping photos of a surprise statue that had passersby doing double takes.
“Before I got close, I thought it was Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers,” one visitor, Don said with a laugh. “Then I realized it was Trump.”
The 12-foot, bronze-colored sculpture depicting President Donald Trump and the late disgraced financier and convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein hand-in-hand was installed by an anonymous art collective calling itself “The Secret Handshake.” It is constructed from wood, foam and resin, finished to look like a traditional monument.
The group said it is a statement of free speech.
The pair are shown mid-dance, and a plaque below references the president’s and the convicted sex trafficker’s past association, including quotes from the birthday message Trump reportedly wrote Epstein.
“The Secret Handshake” arrived the week after another statue depicting Trump showed up on the Mall. That statue featured the president holding a giant Bitcoin, which was mounted by a group of crypto investors who hoped “to ignite conversation about the future of government-issued currency.”
Reactions ranged from amused to uneasy, with some predicting the statue will not stay in place for long. Still, the unexpected artwork had already become a pop-up attraction, drawing steady foot traffic.
“I’m glad we got to see it, I don’t think it will be here much longer,” joked Julie, who was visiting from Germany.
The group behind the latest statue filed a permit with the National Park Service to put their statue up until the end of the month, with the purpose to “demonstrate freedom of speech and artistic expression using political imagery.”
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