My art will go on: Trump and Epstein are Titanic’s doomed lovers in Washington DC statue
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The 3.66m-tall gold-painted statue was unveiled in Washington DC on March 10 by a collective of anonymous and satirical installation artists called The Secret Handshake.
PHOTO: AFP
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US President Donald Trump embraces late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein at the bow of a ship in a statue based on an iconic scene in the 1997 Oscar-winning movie Titanic.
The 3.66m-tall gold-painted statue was unveiled in Washington DC on March 10 by a collective of anonymous and satirical installation artists called The Secret Handshake.
A plaque at the foot of the statue reads: “The tragic love story between Jack and Rose was built on luxurious travel, raucous parties, and secret nude sketches. This monument honours the bond between Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, a friendship seemingly built on luxurious travel, raucous parties, and secret nude sketches.”
Located at the National Mall, a short walk from the domed building that houses Congress, the artwork is titled “The King of the World” in reference to the scene in which Jack, played by actor Leonardo DiCaprio, shouts: “I’m king of the world.”
It depicts Epstein standing at the bow of a ship with his arms stretched out, while Mr Trump is standing behind him holding his wrists.
Flanking the statue were 10 banners with a photo of Trump and Epstein and the words “Make America Safe Again”. The banners also carry the Justice Department’s insignia, albeit with the word “justice” redacted.
The White House criticised the display.
“When will these wealthy Democrat donors create sculptures of Democrats… who continued to solicit money and meetings from Epstein after he was convicted as a sex offender?” deputy press secretary Abigail Jackson said in a statement to the US media.
Banners with a photo of Trump and Epstein and the words “Make America Safe Again”, as well as the Justice Department’s insignia, albeit with the word “justice” redacted.
PHOTO: AFP
Visitors to the mall, a frequent site of demonstrations and temporary installations, have been seen taking photographs of the statue, Time magazine reported on March 11.
It is not clear how long the statue will remain there.
The Secret Handshake told American newspaper USA Today on March 11 that it hoped the statue would remain in place for several more days, but did not provide more information.
Last September, The Secret Handshake installed at the same mall a sculpture of Mr Trump holding hands and prancing with Epstein.
The bronze-painted work was installed on Sept 23 and taken down within 24 hours by National Park Service’s officials. It was reinstalled at the same place on Oct 2.
Mr Trump has consistently denied wrongdoing in relation to Epstein and claimed he has been “totally exonerated” after the release of millions of new documents related to the New York financier.
People looking at a statue depicting US President Donald Trump and late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, entitled “The King of the World”, on the National Mall in Washington DC.
PHOTO: REUTERS
While acknowledging he knew Epstein socially years ago, Mr Trump has claimed he had a falling-out with the disgraced financier long before Epstein’s 2019 death in jail while awaiting trial for alleged sex trafficking of underage girls.
In September 2025, Democrats in the US House of Representatives made public a birthday note that Mr Trump purportedly wrote to Epstein more than 20 years ago.
The letter, whose authenticity the White House denies, is a typewritten message inserted into the sketched outline of a nude woman.
It includes the line, “May every day be another wonderful secret.”
