logo
White House outraged by shocking new DC sculpture showing Trump 'dancing' with Jeffrey Epstein

White House outraged by shocking new DC sculpture showing Trump 'dancing' with Jeffrey Epstein

Daily Mail​a day ago

A gaudy gold sculpture showing Donald Trump dancing alongside pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein has popped up in front of the US Capitol.
The anonymous artwork features a television spray-painted gold topped by a bald eagle with its wings spread.
The TV sits above a plaque bearing a quote attributed to the Trump White House: 'In the United States of America you have the freedom to display your so-called "art," no matter how ugly it is.'
Trump's 'dad dancing' has been parodied everywhere from TikTok to NFL touchdown celebrations, but not usually alongside his sex offender former friend.
A National Parks Service permit application stated that the piece's purpose was 'to demonstrate freedom of speech and artistic expression using political imagery.'
The quote accompanying the piece came from White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson in response to another, 8ft sculpture named 'Dictator Approved' that appeared in the same spot last week.
The anonymous artwork features a television spray-painted gold topped by a bald eagle with its wings spread
That work showed the cracked head of the Statue of Liberty crushed by a huge golden hand giving a thumbs-up.
Sitting around the pillar were complimentary quotes about Trump from leaders like Russia's Vladimir Putin ('a very bright and talented man') and North Korea's Kim Jong Un ('extraordinary courage').
Jackson missed the point of the artwork by adding that if the US was a dictatorship, the sculpture wouldn't be allowed.
She didn't appear amused by being the butt of a new joke either.
'Wow, these liberal activists masquerading as "artists" are dumber than I thought!' she told the Washington Post.
'I've tricked them into taking down their ugly sculpture and replacing it with a beautiful video of the president's legendary dance moves that will bring joy and inspiration to all tourists traversing our National Mall.
'Maybe they will put this on their next sculpture.'
Trump's relationship with Epstein was thrust back into the spotlight earlier this month during the president's spectacular falling out with Elon Musk.
'Time to drop the really big bomb: Donald Trump is in the Epstein files,' Musk claimed on Twitter at the time.
Exactly who is responsible for the artwork is a mystery as no one has publicly claimed responsibility.
The name on the permit for the piece is listed as 'Mary Harris', possibly a reference to labor leader Mary Harris 'Mother' Jones from the 1890s to 1920s.
The Washingtonian spoke to a man from a group calling itself 'Statues Art Project' who explained that Trump's dancing was the 'ugliest art that we could think of'.
'Even though their comment is really snarky and passive-aggressive, I think this statement is actually kind of a beautiful thing about this country that has rights and norms and other standards of American living seem to be disappearing by the day in this administration,' the man said of Jackson's 'ugly art' line.
He denied the same artists were responsible for similarly styled anonymous sculptures in DC, Philadelphia and Portland last year.
Those included a bronze tiki torch and a replica of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with feces on her desk, in reference to the January 6 insurrection.
The sculpture, which is protected around the clock by security guards, is expected to stay up through the weekend.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

At least 60 killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza as ceasefire prospects inch closer
At least 60 killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza as ceasefire prospects inch closer

South Wales Argus

time11 minutes ago

  • South Wales Argus

At least 60 killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza as ceasefire prospects inch closer

The strikes began late on Friday and continued into Saturday morning, among others killing 12 people near the Palestine Stadium in Gaza City, which was sheltering displaced people, and eight more living in apartments, according to staff at Shifa hospital where the bodies were brought. Six others were killed in southern Gaza when a strike hit their tent in Muwasi, according to the hospital. The strikes come as US President Donald Trump said there could be a ceasefire agreement within the next week. Taking questions from reporters in the Oval Office on Friday, the president said: 'We're working on Gaza and trying to get it taken care of.' A man carries the wrapped body of a child who was killed along with others in an Israeli strike that targeted a school in northern Gaza, at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City (Jehad Alshrafi/AP) An official with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press that Israel's minister for strategic affairs, Ron Dermer, will arrive in Washington next week for talks on Gaza's ceasefire, Iran and other subjects. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media. Talks have been on and since Israel broke the latest ceasefire in March, continuing its military campaign in Gaza and furthering the dire humanitarian crisis. Some 50 hostages remain in Gaza, fewer than half of them believed to be still alive. They were among some 250 hostages taken when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 2023, sparking the 21-month-long war. The war has killed more than 56,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. It says more than half of the dead were women and children. There is hope among hostage families that Mr Trump's involvement in securing the recent ceasefire between Israel and Iran might exert more pressure for a deal in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is riding a wave of public support for the Iran war and its achievements, and he could feel he has more space to move toward ending the war in Gaza, something his far-right governing partners oppose. Hamas has repeatedly said it is prepared to free all the hostages in exchange for an end to the war in Gaza. Mr Netanyahu says he will end the war only once Hamas is disarmed and exiled, something the group has rejected. Palestinians carry humanitarian aid packages near the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution centre in Khan Younis, southern Gaza (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP) Meanwhile, hungry Palestinians are enduring a catastrophic situation in Gaza. After blocking all food for more than two months, Israel has allowed only a trickle of supplies into the territory since mid-May. Efforts by the United Nations to distribute the food have been plagued by armed gangs looting trucks and by crowds of desperate people offloading supplies from convoys. Palestinians have also been shot and wounded while on their way to get food at newly formed aid sites, run by the American and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, according to Gaza's health officials and witnesses. Palestinian witnesses say Israeli troops have opened fire at crowds on the roads heading toward the sites. Israel's military said it was investigating incidents in which civilians had been harmed while approaching the sites.

At least 60 killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza as ceasefire prospects inch closer
At least 60 killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza as ceasefire prospects inch closer

Rhyl Journal

time11 minutes ago

  • Rhyl Journal

At least 60 killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza as ceasefire prospects inch closer

The strikes began late on Friday and continued into Saturday morning, among others killing 12 people near the Palestine Stadium in Gaza City, which was sheltering displaced people, and eight more living in apartments, according to staff at Shifa hospital where the bodies were brought. Six others were killed in southern Gaza when a strike hit their tent in Muwasi, according to the hospital. The strikes come as US President Donald Trump said there could be a ceasefire agreement within the next week. Taking questions from reporters in the Oval Office on Friday, the president said: 'We're working on Gaza and trying to get it taken care of.' An official with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press that Israel's minister for strategic affairs, Ron Dermer, will arrive in Washington next week for talks on Gaza's ceasefire, Iran and other subjects. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media. Talks have been on and since Israel broke the latest ceasefire in March, continuing its military campaign in Gaza and furthering the dire humanitarian crisis. Some 50 hostages remain in Gaza, fewer than half of them believed to be still alive. They were among some 250 hostages taken when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 2023, sparking the 21-month-long war. The war has killed more than 56,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. It says more than half of the dead were women and children. There is hope among hostage families that Mr Trump's involvement in securing the recent ceasefire between Israel and Iran might exert more pressure for a deal in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is riding a wave of public support for the Iran war and its achievements, and he could feel he has more space to move toward ending the war in Gaza, something his far-right governing partners oppose. Hamas has repeatedly said it is prepared to free all the hostages in exchange for an end to the war in Gaza. Mr Netanyahu says he will end the war only once Hamas is disarmed and exiled, something the group has rejected. Meanwhile, hungry Palestinians are enduring a catastrophic situation in Gaza. After blocking all food for more than two months, Israel has allowed only a trickle of supplies into the territory since mid-May. Efforts by the United Nations to distribute the food have been plagued by armed gangs looting trucks and by crowds of desperate people offloading supplies from convoys. Palestinians have also been shot and wounded while on their way to get food at newly formed aid sites, run by the American and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, according to Gaza's health officials and witnesses. Palestinian witnesses say Israeli troops have opened fire at crowds on the roads heading toward the sites. Israel's military said it was investigating incidents in which civilians had been harmed while approaching the sites.

Trump on a high after 'tremendous' wins at home and abroad
Trump on a high after 'tremendous' wins at home and abroad

BBC News

time14 minutes ago

  • BBC News

Trump on a high after 'tremendous' wins at home and abroad

Donald Trump's week began with an on-air expletive as he lost his cool over his mounting frustrations with Iran and Israel's shaky ended with a beaming US president holding court at the White House - not once, but twice - as he celebrated a series of significant political victories at home and was in a triumphant mood, answering questions for more than an hour at a news conference that turned into a meandering boast of his a look at four big wins from this week, as well as a reminder of some things that didn't go entirely the president's way. 1. An 'unbelievable' strike and a ceasefire The successful US strike on Iranian nuclear facilities on 21 June was followed just three days later by Trump's announcement of a "complete and total" ceasefire in what he termed the "12-day war" between Israel and Iran. It had a rocky start. Not long before the announcement, Iran fired off ballistic missiles at a US airbase in Qatar, sparking fears of a wider war across the Persian Gulf. Even after the ceasefire, things seemed tenuous. Both sides were quickly accused of breaking it, prompting an angry, expletive-laden tirade to reporters on the White House lawn. By his own admission, Trump only narrowly managed to convince Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to call off further attacks on Iran. But ultimately the ceasefire held, allowing the president to proudly claim that his military gamble of an "unbelievable" strike on Iran worked, and point to evidence that he is a "peacemaker" - a sorely needed win as peace continues to elude him in both Gaza and Ukraine. Hegseth talks up strikes in Iran in push for public approval 2. Nato's commitment to 'Daddy' Trump was on his way to the Netherlands for the Nato summit when he got a text from Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte, lavishing praise on him for the strikes on Iran - texts the president was more than happy to make his whirlwind visit to the summit, US allies committed to 5% defence spending, something the president had repeatedly and vocally called during a joint press conference, Rutte referred to Trump as "Daddy", a reference to the president being able to broker a ceasefire between Israel and has seemed to embrace the moniker. "I think he likes me. If he doesn't...I'll come back and hit him hard," Trump said at a news conference, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio laughing beside him. "He did it very affectionately." Soon after, the White House posted various videos of a victorious-looking Trump with the caption "daddy's home". Trump takes victory lap at Nato - but questions remain 3. A 'giant win' at the Supreme Court Trump's week ended on a high note with the news that the Supreme Court issued a ruling that will curb judges' power to block his orders nationwide. While the ruling stems from a case regarding Trump's ability to end birthright citizenship for children of some immigrants, it has sweeping implications. It will be harder for lower courts to challenge Trump's domestic agenda through what Attorney General Pam Bondi described as an "endless barrage" of injunctions. At an impromptu news conference, the president hailed the ruling as a "monumental victory for the constitution, the separation of powers, and the rule of law". The decision allows him to pursue a number of other policy items that had been thwarted by injunctions, including freezing funds to so-called "sanctuary cities" that stand in the way of his mass deportation drive, suspending refugee resettlement, and preventing tax money being used to fund gender surgeries. The president smiled and cracked jokes, inviting reporters to ask more and more questions, as his aides - including Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt - sat smiling beside him. "This was a tremendous win, and we've had tremendous wins," he said at the end. "But this was a tremendous win today." Court ruling expands Trump's power - he intends to use it 4. A peace deal in Africa Some potential worries for the White House The week hasn't been all victories and roses for Trump. The president's biggest legislative priority - a massive tax bill he's dubbed the "One, Big, Beautiful Bill" - has hit some roadblocks. Trump has repeatedly urged lawmakers to get it on to his desk to sign into law by 4 July, Independence Day in the US. But earlier this week, Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough said that certain provisions violated Senate rules, throwing billions of dollars of cuts into doubt."This is part of the process. This part is part of the workings of the United States Senate," Karoline Leavitt said earlier this week. "But the president is adamant about seeing this bill on his desk here at the White House by Independence Day." And while Trump has hailed the ceasefires in Iran - as well as those in central Africa and last month between Pakistan and India - as victories, he has so far faltered on two of his biggest promises for peace: in Gaza and Ukraine."We're working on that one," Trump said of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine at Friday's news conference, where he did not mention the end of US military involvement in Iran is not guaranteed. During the news conference, Trump was asked by the BBC if he would consider bombing Iran again if he believed they were re-starting their nuclear programme. "Sure, without question, absolutely," he responded.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store