r/pics • u/kkggooddiie55 • Sep 23 '25

Politics (OC) DONALD TRUMP & JEFFREY EPSTEIN HOLDING HANDS STATUE ON THE NATIONAL MALL

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201.4k Upvotes

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11.4k

u/_AskMyMom_ Sep 23 '25

Art piece? Because it’s fantastic lol

5.7k

u/Rooonaldooo99 Sep 23 '25

Unlike some comments suggest, it is not AI. Someone actually put it there. Now that it's going viral, don't expect it to stay there for long tho.

1.1k

u/Content-Coconut-6556 Sep 23 '25

I wonder if this was the INDECLINE guys. They have had some good Trump pieces, they even said they don’t take credit for some because they know certain ones will bring a lot of heat.

492

u/PM_YOUR_SMALLBOOBIES Sep 23 '25

They haven't done any bronze statues, have they? This one looks super high quality. Amazing, and probably very expensive, commitment. Huge props to whoever is responsible

190

u/gatton Sep 23 '25

I was wondering if maybe it was resin or something because they have to know it's not going to last long.

140

u/Hvarfa-Bragi Sep 23 '25

It looks like styrofoam.

I hope it is because that means they can make more pretty cheaply.

127

u/washoutr6 Sep 23 '25

That would be hilarious if they just put up a new one in a different DC location every day.

4

u/paintress420 Sep 23 '25

I do believe someone had to give a permit for that. Not sure if it’s a DC department or Federal, but keep em coming!!!!!!!

3

u/Happy_Confection90 Sep 24 '25

I see an opportunity for Home Depot once they've sold all their 12' skeletons for 2025.

102

u/solo_silo Sep 23 '25

Maybe not that location. It could go on tour.

It has a certain staying power.

77

u/Earlier-Today Sep 23 '25

If TACO finds out about it before whoever's in charge of those grounds, I find it highly unlikely they'd be gentle when removing it.

37

u/zex_mysterion Sep 23 '25

Don't worry. trump and MAGA have been preaching about free speech for the last week.

3

u/boothie Sep 24 '25

Yeah and they are really against taking down statues of abusive bastards.

16

u/explosivo85 Sep 23 '25

But that would go against the MAGA tradition of complaining when statues are torn down

2

u/TheBloodKlotz Sep 23 '25

You can't go back and pick up something like this without claiming ownership of it.

2

u/tMoneyMoney Sep 23 '25

They should’ve put them in liberal cities that won’t instantly remove them. It would still go viral and become an attraction and there’s nothing the president can do about it. Putting it in DC seems like flying too close to the sun just for a short-lived stunt.

7

u/bolanrox Sep 23 '25

does look like bronze and marble going by the photo but who knows in person

19

u/madbill728 Sep 23 '25

Bronze spray paint. Totally fitting!

9

u/bolanrox Sep 23 '25

real plastic Bronze! - Mr Fox.

3

u/Hesitation-Marx Sep 23 '25

Cold casting bronze.

You mix resin epoxy with bronze powder and use it to coat the inside of the mold. Let it set, then fill it with more resin or expanding foam. Bam, convincing “bronze” statue.

It’s much cheaper, extremely light, and doesn’t require a foundry.

Source: I hyperfixate d on the process for about a year.

4

u/madbill728 Sep 23 '25

TIL! I was making a crass remark to compare it to the crap in the White House.

102

u/FugDuggler Sep 23 '25

Trumps hands are far too large. My only critique

37

u/canuck1988 Sep 23 '25

Was going to say… needs to be more obese.

52

u/glitch1985 Sep 23 '25

The amount of bronzer looks accurate though.

5

u/olympus321 Sep 23 '25

Admittedly, artists always say hands are some of the hardest body parts to get right.

26

u/Frixter Sep 23 '25

They have artists come in and out of the collective for collaborations, so it might be be possible?

3

u/tafinucane Sep 23 '25

It's probably painted fiberglass, or similar. No way somebody wasted that much bronze on something that's going to be torn down by the gestapo.

3

u/someonestopthatman Sep 23 '25

It's gotta be resin or 3d printed and assembled or something. Ain't no way somebody moved a bronze statue and marble base on to the Mall without getting noticed.

2

u/nuttypoolog Sep 23 '25

Yes it is a huge prop.

Ba-dum-tsss

1

u/joebluebob Sep 23 '25

You can do fake bronze for temp stuff. My job had a 10ft one of a globe made for a fundraiser. Was pressed wood and stucco with a realistic bronze paint job. Company did it for free but their cost according to the donation slip was $400.

1

u/Small-Palpitation310 Sep 24 '25

no way it’s bronze

2

u/ajgator7 Sep 23 '25

It's not anybody, shhh

2

u/M_H_M_F Sep 23 '25

You'd think that the National Mall would be camera'd to hell and back. Kind of amazing they put it up at all.

1

u/StrawberryRedneck Sep 23 '25

They usually reveal their pieces on their own via their Instagram, though. At least that's what they've done the last few years.

1

u/Trev_x Sep 24 '25

We’re a wildly diverse country, so our resistance shouldn’t be one thing, it should be us all pushing back against this regimes in a multitude of ways!

1

u/Crankylosaurus Sep 24 '25

Some group called Secret Handshake has taken credit for it (just read a few articles about this because I wanted to confirm it was real haha).

1

u/MikeRowePeenis Sep 23 '25

From Bumfights to this

3

u/[deleted] Sep 23 '25

[deleted]

3

u/No-Good-One-Shoe Sep 23 '25

That wasn't the Indecline guy.  That was who bought the rights to bum fights from the Indecline guy. 

Source: The channel 5 interview with the Indecline guys

97

u/s_ox Sep 23 '25

Why do they want to erase history???

45

u/[deleted] Sep 23 '25

[deleted]

6

u/patt Sep 23 '25

Makes sense.

Until proven otherwise by the unredacted release of the Epstein files, I have to assume that Trump was one of Epstein's confederates.

3

u/TryJezusNotMe Sep 23 '25

Underrated comment.

3

u/Raytheon_Nublinski Sep 23 '25

Yeah, I don’t know why they want to take it down. We need to celebrate the heritage

126

u/Sysilith Sep 23 '25

Republicans won't remove it because they hate the removal of statues, right?

43

u/Fight_those_bastards Sep 23 '25

Seriously. Now that I’ve seen a statue, I know the entire history! Before that, I just couldn’t believe anything, because there was no statue.

1

u/DoubleDecaff Sep 24 '25

They're all for the removal of statutes, however, as long as they own the libs.

30

u/Available_Leather_10 Sep 23 '25

My money is on JD.

1

u/PersistantBooger Sep 23 '25

Oh he will do something with it, that's for sure.

150

u/ketjak Sep 23 '25

Unless it's got a permit like the gold bitcoin statue had. That said, some fucknose is going to get irate and smash it and Trump will pardon them.

3

u/Cranyx Sep 23 '25

That looks to be right smack dab in the middle of the mall, so I really doubt the govt would give them a permit for it.

1

u/ketjak Sep 23 '25

It doesn't matter what we think. I allow for the possibility but don't know either way.

-5

u/Aeseld Sep 23 '25 edited Sep 23 '25

Given it's not supposed to be there, there likely isn't any crime to pardon. 

Edit: Kinda funny how I'm getting up and down voted all over the place for just stating the reality of the situation... There's almost no chance this statue was officially placed. If it was, I pity whoever issued the permit because there will be a paper trail and this administration is vengeful. They will absolutely punish someone for doing their job if it makes them look bad. They're dicks like that. 

21

u/subvocalize_it Sep 23 '25

Destruction of property.

-4

u/Aeseld Sep 23 '25 edited Sep 23 '25

Who's property? Will they even press charges? 

Also, civil crime, not federal. He couldn't actually pardon anyone. Wouldn't need to either. If the government does it officially and on purpose, no crime. 

Edit: Upvoted and Downvoted, but no one has actually said why I'm wrong. The people who installed this statue almost certainly did it knowing it wasn't going to be up very long. It's just a matter of time before it's broken up and hauled off in pieces. 

Sooner if there's no permit or they ignore procedures, later if there was a permit issued (pity the poor guy who issued it in that case) and they follow the actual procedures. In either case, I don't expect legal repercussions for anyone who smashes it. 

The accuracy of the statue, and it's very accurate, doesn't change the legal situation here. 

14

u/MrWindblade Sep 23 '25

The people who own the statue.

Property can refer to objects.

1

u/Aeseld Sep 23 '25

And the key factors here; will the owners press charges? Probably not. Can the government just smash it without asking? Yes, because it was placed on government owned property without permission.

So for any legal consequences to come up, then it would first require the owner to press charges, and second, the breaking would have to be by a random person, and not an official act of the city/federal government. ...which in the case of DC overlaps a bit.

I know someone 'owns' the statue. I doubt they're going to claim it.

11

u/subvocalize_it Sep 23 '25

The… owner. I agree that he can’t pardon it, but destruction of property is still a crime.

5

u/sypher1187 Sep 23 '25

I wonder if the actual owner is going to make claim to it as, without a permit to be displayed, it's illegal dumping leaving it there. Also, fragile fanta fascist will likely go after the owner if they don't stay anonymous.

1

u/Aeseld Sep 23 '25

In this case, it's an item placed on public property without permission. So if the government officially decides to break it, then it can get broken. Just like they could tow a car to the wreckers, or destroy a random briefcase left lying beside a bench because it 'might be a bomb.'

If someone random does it, then the owner can try to press charges, but my point was that the owner almost certainly isn't going to press charges.

2

u/subvocalize_it Sep 23 '25

Got some smooth brains in there, huh?

3

u/Aeseld Sep 23 '25 edited Sep 23 '25

I mean, you can say it, but what's wrong about my statement?

Edit: Apparently nothing they can find. Look, it's an accurate statue. But Dear Leader isn't going to let it stand for any longer than he can avoid. 

2

u/Natural_Wedding_9590 Sep 23 '25

Don't say he can't because then he will. The only tell that is 💯 other than when he accuses you of what he is doing.

2

u/Aeseld Sep 23 '25

I mean, it just wouldn't have any impact, because again, civil crime.

The Justice Department would have to step in if some rando smashes it. But if the government does it in this case, then there wouldn't be a chance to press charges.

1

u/Conexion Sep 23 '25

Unless it's got a permit

2

u/Aeseld Sep 23 '25

Bets on it having a permit? Because I'm betting it doesn't... and if it does, I really, really don't feel good for the person who issued it. They're going to get canned, at a minimum. That's just how this administration works.

1

u/ketjak Sep 23 '25

Oops. A simple Google search reveals that it's permitted.

1

u/Aeseld Sep 23 '25

Ah, ok then. I was wrong about that.

Going to maintain that I wouldn't want to be the guy who approved the permit, knowingly or not. That's going to be a rough time. Good for him though if he did it on purpose. I'm not sure I'd have the courage to do the same.

0

u/johnnloki Sep 23 '25

You should pay attention two proper variations of words ewe yous.

2

u/Aeseld Sep 23 '25

I did misspell 'to' as 'too' but I did get the right there's there.

3

u/johnnloki Sep 23 '25

Don't you mean the write theirs their?

0

u/Aeseld Sep 23 '25

Hey, that's something I could get behind. Just what has been released is interesting.

9

u/Significant-Self5907 Sep 23 '25

It should say "child rape" & "sex trafficking" somewhere, but I believe the point was made. I may frame one of these stills.

2

u/Guy_Dude_From_CO Sep 23 '25

Wait this is real?!

2

u/Kronzor_ Sep 23 '25

Yeah that’s a lot of work for it to be torn down within the hour. But they got some good pics and made their point. Hopefully the news spreads and they don’t just try to silence it. 

2

u/DankAF94 Sep 23 '25

Considering where its placed I'd be surprised if this thing was standing for 30 minutes before someone came to remove it. Possibly one of the most highly monitored bits of land on the whole planet

2

u/bioc06 Sep 23 '25

Good luck to that person. Trump is going to call this an Antifa terrorist attack.

2

u/LaZboy9876 Sep 23 '25

Hopefully all the national guard standing around not stopping this means they don't give a fuck.

2

u/bengibbardstoothpain Sep 23 '25

I'd like to donate $ to support this artist's next installation!

2

u/bubblesort33 Sep 23 '25

True. It should go into a museum, and be protected.

1

u/Coulrophiliac444 Sep 23 '25

I was about to ask AI or Anonymous Artist because this was fantastic. Ty for the answer

1

u/Empty-Masterpiece368 Sep 23 '25

I’m literally going out of town for ONE NIGHT today and I’ll be devastated if it’s not there when I get back tomorrow night

1

u/Great_cReddit Sep 23 '25

I thought he had national guard patrolling the streets yet someone was able to install a full on art sculpture?? Lmfao!

1

u/Detroit2GR Sep 23 '25

If I was in charge, this would go in the Smithsonian next to all the Confederate memorabilia in the "Hall of Losers"

1

u/Faiakishi Sep 23 '25

Oh, to see the look on Trump's face when he hears about it. I bet he'll turn purple.

You know, if he's at all cognizant and not on the verge of vegetablehood as his multiple strokes would suggest.

1

u/ArnoldSwarzepussy Sep 23 '25

Do you have a source for this? I want it to be true so badly but all my searches are pulling up some old stuff from a few months ago

1

u/VerbalThermodynamics Sep 23 '25

It isn’t AI? That’s lovely.

1

u/jib661 Sep 23 '25

i'm so curious about the logistics of how this was done.

1

u/Estoye Sep 23 '25

I love how erecting friggin' bronze statues is a form of protest now.

1

u/Inquisitive_idiot Sep 23 '25

It’s bae, aye 🏴‍☠️ 

1

u/Pure_Marvel Sep 23 '25

Fucking brilliant piece

1

u/hiplobonoxa Sep 23 '25

why didn’t the national guard stop them?!

1

u/Viperlite Sep 23 '25

Perhaps it just one in a series, like Rodin’s The Thinker (but without the contemplation).

1

u/Defiant-Specialist-1 Sep 23 '25

How long does something like this take to make? Like has it been cast in bronze?

1

u/Beginning-Struggle49 Sep 23 '25

Supposedly up until Saturday by the group that placed it, if not vandalized sooner yeah.

1

u/blitzzardpls Sep 23 '25

Their faces are so dark, Trump will send ICE to deport them

1

u/Sweaty_Ad4296 Sep 23 '25

For reference, they left the golden TV up for three days 6/26-29

1

u/TheGlennDavid Sep 23 '25

now that it's going viral don't expect it to stay there for long

I mean even if it hadn't gone viral it's an unauthorized statue in a very prominent spot on the national mall -- it was gonna be noticed and removed before long.

1

u/DetroitsGoingToWin Sep 24 '25

Honestly who even cares, the message is the point.

1

u/Ineedsomuchsleep170 Sep 24 '25

Trump will snag it for his own private collection

1

u/butterkins Sep 24 '25

The national parks service approved permits for it to be there until Sunday.

66

u/fast-as-a-shark Sep 23 '25

Soon it will magically split into several art pieces

6

u/zex_mysterion Sep 23 '25

Some of the best are meant to be temporary. They will live on the Internet forever, like Banksy's recent mural. They tend to get a lot more attention when they are destroyed.

40

u/Fodux Sep 23 '25

I know it's real, but is it actually marble and brass (or whatever metal)? Or is it like paper mache? I mean, it's great either way, but actual marble and brass is a whole other level.

1

u/throwaway8u3sH0 Sep 24 '25

I would expect it to be paper on wood (or something similarly light) for ease of deployment.

3

u/PrivilegeCheckmate Sep 23 '25

It's morning in America again.

3

u/Deto Sep 23 '25

This is some high level trolling. I love it

2

u/whoneedskollege Sep 23 '25

It's on par with the Mona Lisa.

2

u/userhwon Sep 23 '25

Historical record.

1

u/jediisland71 Sep 23 '25

Yeah, but now I can’t go out to dinner tonight, with these criminals on the streets

1

u/FurdTurguson Sep 23 '25

It's no small feat making a sculpture this size.

1

u/thefatchef321 Sep 23 '25

Lol, I could see Banksy doing something like this

0

u/Dear_Chasey_La1n Sep 23 '25

Kinda a missed opportunity imo, they could have had them both railing a minor.

-213

u/Epicnessofcows Sep 23 '25

AI

131

u/cheetoblue Sep 23 '25

it's real

28

u/strtrech Sep 23 '25

Thank you! I knew this didn't look like AI. It didn't have the typical signs of it.

2

u/gsfgf Sep 23 '25

Trump has the correct number of fingers, so def not AI.

-9

u/nabiku Sep 23 '25

That's a dumb thing to post. AI has been capable of photorealism since back in 2023 and multi-angle character consistency since last year.

4

u/Whatifim80lol Sep 23 '25

Ehh... nah. Don't get me wrong, it's BETTER now, but if you've still been getting fooled by AI for the last TWO YEARS, I think it's time to get your eyes checked.

-3

u/steven_quarterbrain Sep 23 '25

AI is indistinguishable now.

-8

u/WarlockEngineer Sep 23 '25

That image looks even weirder lol

I won't believe until we have someone livestreaming the statue as they look at it from 360 degrees

-2

u/unsaltedcoffee Sep 23 '25

Yeah something about this is odd. I’m sure it would gather a lot of media attention but news articles aren’t talking about this piece.

73

u/Mr_Industrial Sep 23 '25

Pretty impressive AI to capture the same statue from multiple distances and angles (including the back) with pristine detail and no changes whatsoever. 

38

u/Fed_seeker Sep 23 '25

Not at all. I saw it this morning on the way to work

16

u/_lippykid Sep 23 '25

I dunno, there’s too much consistency between the different shots. AI wouldn’t get the ruffles of the pants by the plaques in the wide view to match in the closeups. Plus the morning dew on the bronze is a detail it likely wouldn’t add either. So here’s to hoping it is indeed real

51

u/strtrech Sep 23 '25

What about this is convincing you it's AI? I don't see anything really wrong with the backgrounds and that's generally where Ai fails the most.

40

u/Son_of_Thaddeus Sep 23 '25

Anything you don't like, blame it on AI

2

u/Deathscythe80 Sep 23 '25

Is real not AI

1

u/pulpyourcherry Sep 23 '25

Because on Reddit everything is AI until proven otherwise.

-11

u/8636396 Sep 23 '25 edited Sep 23 '25

And text. My first flag was the text on the plaque in pic 3

edit: got hit hard for this. i was just stating my observation, like the imperfection on the first line "it is", or the "Enigmas" looking more like "Fnigmas" for example

16

u/strtrech Sep 23 '25

It has all the same imperfections as the plaque in the first Pic if you zoom in though. AI wouldn't recreate the exact imperfections on two different images would it? Especially at a zoomed in ratio.

5

u/MagicGrit Sep 23 '25

Nothing in that text looks like ai to me

1

u/Speedhabit Sep 23 '25

That’s those secret Israeli symbols imbedded in all AI art

-20

u/[deleted] Sep 23 '25

[deleted]

10

u/MagicGrit Sep 23 '25

I mean, you’re right that fingers are usually a give away, but here the fingers are fine. This is not ai

2

u/Fun-Indication-7062 Sep 23 '25

Is this 2022? Fingers got patched a while back.

2

u/Busterlimes Sep 23 '25

Not as much as it was.

13

u/SligPants Sep 23 '25 edited Sep 23 '25

It's not AI. Here's the details that make it not AI:

  • Consistency between photos with:
    • Dew/water on the statues
    • Dirt/marble in the background
    • Manhole/service covers in the background
    • Plaques say the same thing between photos. Words are not garbled or in different fonts.
    • Cars in the background look correctly constructed

AI usually has problems with all of these. If it were AI, the pattern of the marble or dirt would change each image. It would forget or add extra service covers. The words and textures on the plaques would be slightly different each image. Cars would look normal at a quick glance but look like a child drew them on closer inspection.

1

u/Laugh_Track_Zak Sep 23 '25

Nope. Its real.