There’s a new installation on the National Mall, depicting a gilded President Donald Trump embracing convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in the style of a famous scene from the film “Titanic.” Although a shocking sight among the government buildings lining the mall, the piece is just another entry into the lengthy history of satirical faux-statues popping up around D.C. in the past two years.
The statue, named “King of the World” in another reference to the film, first appeared Tuesday morning. Behind the golden figures are 10 banners displaying a photo of Trump and Epstein, emblazoned with the words “Make America Safe Again” and the Department of Justice’s insignia with the word “Justice” redacted.
“The tragic love story between Jack and Rose was built on luxurious travel, raucous parties, and secret nude sketches,” the statue’s plaque reads. “This monument honors the bond between Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, a friendship seemingly built on luxurious travel, raucous parties, and secret nude sketches.”
Anonymous activist group The Secret Handshake took credit for the piece, its third recognized installation. But the mystery statues began appearing in October 2024 – with a sculpture affectionately called the “poop desk.”
Election season
“The Resolute Desk,” like most of the other statues, debuted in the same location as “King of the World,” just weeks before the 2024 U.S. presidential election. A replica of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s desk, the sculpture’s centerpiece was a cartoonishly swirled pile of feces, making reference to the vandalization of the Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection. (Someone actually defecated on her desk that day.)
The statue’s plaque stated its intent to “honor” the protesters involved who infiltrated the Capitol “to loot, urinate and defecate throughout those hallowed halls in order to overturn an election.”
Just a few days after the “poop desk,” the tiki torch arrived. Formally titled “The Donald J. Trump Enduring Flame” and also permitted to Civic Crafted LLC, the statue of a fist holding a torch was placed closer to the White House along Pennsylvania Avenue. The piece memorialized Trump and “the ‘very fine people’ he boldly stood to defend when they marched in Charlottesville,” according to the accompanying plaque.
The statue’s object and plaque reference a 2017 rally in Charlottesville, Va. where protesters from the white supremacist group “Unite the Right” marched through the University of Virginia’s campus wielding tiki torches. But the “Enduring Flame” met a much less ceremonious exit after two men used skateboards to smash it about a week after its installation.
Summer sculptures
After a winter and spring lull, June brought the installation of “Dictator Approved,” an eight-foot-tall sculpture depicting a golden thumbs-up crushing the head of the Statue of Liberty. The sides of the statue’s pedestal featured quotes from various heads of state, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un, praising the president.
“Dictator Approved” was much more elusive, gaining less traction and remaining unclaimed by any activist groups – but its weeklong tenure came days after the Trump administration’s citywide parade celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States Army.
“In the United States of America you have the freedom to display your so-called ‘art,’ no matter how ugly it is,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson wrote in a statement at the time.
It’s exactly what was written on the plaque of the next installation to arrive on Jun. 26, an untitled work of a golden television looping clips of Trump dancing – one including Epstein – a signal of what was next to come for the statues.
Trump and Epstein
The return of the installations came with The Secret Handshake’s piece “Best Friends Forever,” this time taking aim at Trump’s relationship to Epstein in a monument depicting the two holding hands and smiling at one another. This time, the plaque purported the statue was erected for Friendship Month in September, in order to “celebrate the long-lasting bond between” Trump and Epstein.
The statue appeared to strike a nerve, being removed just a day after its installation. But it would return for longer about a week later, this time under the name “Why Can’t We Be Friends?”
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The group struck again in January with a 10-foot-tall replica of Trump’s alleged birthday card to Epstein, released by the Democratic Party in September 2025. The card featured a reproduction of Trump’s alleged message, with the phrase “Happy Birthday to a ‘Terrific Guy!’” written beside it.
Then came “King of the World” Tuesday. Most of the prior statues have been installed for about a week at a time, but it’s unclear how long the latest iteration will remain on the mall.
It’s not certain whether any of the statues’ creators will strike again. But if they do, it’s safe to assume the result will be golden-plated.