A statue depicting Donald Trump and convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein holding hands has been taken down from the National Mall in Washington during the middle of the night.
US Park Police removed the installation on Wednesday, with the collective alleging the takedown occurred during nighttime hours without prior notification.
The Interior Department stated the sculpture violated permit conditions, though the artists' group had secured authorisation for display through Sunday evening.
The 12-foot bronze artwork was erected on Tuesday by protest collective "the secret handshake" and featured a plaque honouring "friendship month" and describing Epstein as President Trump's "closest friend".
Park authorities cited the sculpture's height as grounds for removal, claiming the artwork exceeded the six-foot limit specified in the permit when accounting for its base.
The artists' collective disputed this justification, with a representative telling NPR that "the parks department, aka most likely the Trump administration, were trying to find ways to say we were not in compliance."
A spokesman for the group accused the administration of "toppling free speech" and suggested the removal was motivated by concerns about "whatever Mr Trump is hiding in the Epstein files," according to The Daily Beast.
Whilst permits can be cancelled at any time, authorities typically must provide 24 hours' notice, which the collective maintains they never received.
A controversial sculpture depicting Donald Trump and convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein holding hands has been taken down from the National Mall in Washington
|REUTERS
The sculpture's installation coincides with ongoing disputes over documents related to Epstein, who died by suicide while in custody in 2019.
The Justice Department declared in July that its investigation was complete and files would remain sealed, prompting criticism from Democrats, dissenting Republicans and some supporters of the President demanding transparency.
Attorney General Pam Bondi reportedly expressed concerns to President Trump about public reaction to the announcement, whilst also alleging FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino were attempting to undermine her position by suggesting she mismanaged the documents, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Two document releases have since occurred following a House Oversight Committee subpoena for a separate inquiry.
Donald Trump, Melania Trump, Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, pictured in 2000 | GETTYThe September document release included Epstein's "birthday book" containing an alleged message from Mr Trump that read: "Enigmas never age... A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday! And may every day be a wonderful secret," accompanied by a sketch of an unclothed woman.
The US President has denied authoring the message and is pursuing a £12billion lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal for their coverage of it.
The revelations have affected other prominent figures, with Peter Mandelson losing his US ambassadorial post after emails showed him offering support to Epstein following his arrest.
Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, was similarly dropped by British charities after correspondence revealed she called Epstein a "supreme friend" in 2011.