Latest news with #JeffreyEpstein
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
White House Absolutely Fuming Over Sculpture Showing Trump Dancing With Epstein
The White House failed to see the artistic value of a mysterious installation of a gold 'television' erected in front of the Capitol that plays a video of Donald Trump dancing shoulder-to-shoulder with child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The installation, which was created by unknown artists and is permitted to stay through Sunday, sits where last week's anti-Trump statue 'Dictator Approved' drew similar outrage. Press aide Abigail Jackson unloaded on the anonymous creators. 'Wow, these liberal activists masquerading as 'artists,' are dumber than I thought!' she said in a statement to 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. Thank you for your attention to this matter!' She finished: 'Maybe they will put this on their next sculpture,' she added. The new piece, which features a 15-second loop of Trump's dad dancing, and not just with the late disgraced financier, doubles down on the administration's own words. A plaque quotes last week's White House insistence that Americans are free to display 'so-called 'art,' no matter how ugly it is,' mocking officials who now gripe about being mocked. The stunt's aim, per its National Park Service filing, is 'to demonstrate freedom of speech and artistic expression using political imagery'—and has proven popular with tourists. Just who the artists are remains an art-world whodunit. The National Park Service permit lists a 'Mary Harris,' but no contact details. The Post reports that art sleuths suspect the name is a wink at labor-icon Mary Harris 'Mother' Jones, famous for rattling the powerful a century ago—suggesting the pranksters see themselves as her 21st-century heirs. The golden TV popped up in the same spot as last week's eight-foot statue 'Dictator Approved,' which showed a Trumpian thumbs-up squashing Lady Liberty's crown. That earlier piece quoted authoritarian leaders praising Trump and prompted the original White House crack about 'so-called 'art.'' Similar bronze tiki torches and poop-on-Pelosi-desk tableaux have mysteriously appeared in D.C., Philadelphia, and Portland since autumn, all unsigned but stylistically similar. Trump's cheek-to-cheek history with Epstein has dogged him for years, and his golden two-step with Epstein is hardly random B-roll. The future president socialized with the disgraced financier throughout the 1990s, once calling him a 'terrific guy' who liked 'beautiful women… on the younger side,' and flight logs unsealed during Ghislaine Maxwell's trial listed Trump aboard Epstein's jet seven times. Those links resurfaced this month when Elon Musk blasted on X: 'Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files.' The billionaire Tesla and SpaceX owner claimed the administration is sitting on the documents—a charge which he later deleted, apologizing for going too far. For now, tourists can soak up the D.C. sun watching Trump sway in silence with the sex offender. Meanwhile his press team, which has been approached for comment by the Daily Beast, keeps dancing around the Epstein question—while waiting to see what ignominious installation may pop up next.
Daily Mail
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
White House outraged by shocking new DC sculpture showing Trump 'dancing' with Jeffrey Epstein
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.
The Guardian
16 hours ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Barclays and Jes Staley face fresh lawsuit in US over Epstein link
Barclays and its former chief executive Jes Staley are facing a class action lawsuit in the US over claims they defrauded and misled investors over Staley's relationship with the child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. A judge in a Los Angeles court denied Staley's request to dismiss the case this week, paving the way for a fresh hearing that continues a long-running legal saga emanating from Staley's statements to regulators and investors over the nature of his ties to the disgraced financier. It is a bruising outcome for the American banker, who lost a legal challenge in the UK on Thursday against the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which banned him for life from holding senior management roles in the City in 2023 for misleading the watchdog over his history with Epstein. The US class action suit, led by pension funds in New York and Missouri, alleges that Barclays, its chair, Nigel Higgins, and Staley repeatedly misrepresented Staley's history with Epstein to media and investors, starting in July 2019 – weeks after Epstein was arrested on charges of trafficking underage girls for sex. Court documents allege that this was done in an attempt to protect Barclays' reputation and share price. The plaintiffs claim Barclays downplayed the relationship even after the FCA launched its investigation, which centred on claims made in a letter it received from Barclays in October 2019. That letter claimed that Staley 'did not have a close relationship' with Epstein, and that his last contact with the financier had been 'well before' he joined Barclays four years earlier in 2015. The FCA investigation, triggered by a cache of 1,200 emails from Staley's former employer JP Morgan, concluded that the pair were 'indeed close' and had a relationship that 'went beyond one that was professional in nature'. The latest US lawsuit claims that Barclays, Staley and Higgins misled them even after learning about the FCA investigation. They claim that this continued even after Barclays reviewed the JP Morgan email cache, which 'demonstrated that the two men shared a much closer, personal relationship than defendants acknowledged to the FCA and the public'. The case has been brought by US shareholders and owners of American depository receipts (ADRs), which give investors the chance to own and trade shares in foreign companies on US stock exchanges. They claim they were ultimately defrauded, having learned about the true nature of Staley and Epstein's relationship only after the FCA publicly released findings of its investigation and banned Staley from the City, in October 2023. The news caused the value of their shares and ADRs to drop, resulting in 'significant economic losses.' Staley had resigned from Barclays two years earlier in 2021 over preliminary findings from the FCA's investigation. 'When the FCA privately informed defendants of the outcome of its preliminary investigation, Staley left Barclays. Nevertheless, Barclays publicly continued to minimise the scope of the FCA's investigation into Staley's relationship with Epstein and voiced its support for its former CEO,' court filings by the plaintiffs state. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion That continued, they allege, after damaging details were revealed in a civil suit against JP Morgan, which was accused of banking Epstein while he was sex trafficking women and girls. While the cases were eventually settled, the class action says the evidence presented 'further exposed correspondence between Staley and Epstein that publicly revealed their relationship was more than merely professional – contrary to the assurances defendants made to investors in Barclays securities'. The filings cite the infamous exchange in which the pair refer to Disney princesses in July 2010. 'That was fun. Say hi to Snow White,' Staley wrote. 'What character would you like next?' Epstein asked, to which Staley replied: 'Beauty and the Beast.' The filing states: 'When defendants' deception of the FCA and investors was revealed, the price of Barclays Securities again fell, and investors were further economically damaged.' The plaintiffs are suing Barclays, Higgins and Staley for an unspecified amount, saying they want compensation for 'all damages sustained as a result of defendants' wrongdoing, in an amount to be proven at trial, including interest'. They are also requesting that costs and expenses linked to the trial be covered, on top of 'such other relief as the court may deem just and proper'. The first scheduling hearing in this US class action case, which will start setting out a timetable and deadlines for the legal process, is due to take place on 14 August. A legal representative for Staley declined to comment. Barclays and Higgins declined to comment.
Time of India
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
White House seethes as sculpture shows Trump dancing with Epstein - who are the artists?
A provocative art installation has raised eyebrows in D.C., and not just among tourists. A mysterious gold-sprayed TV on the National Mall that plays a video of Donald Trump dancing next to Jeffrey Epstein has appeared near the Capitol. While it has captured public attention, the White House is extremely infuriated. What does the White House say? A mysterious gold "television" installation in front of the Capitol that shows a video of Donald Trump dancing shoulder-to-shoulder with child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was put up, as per a report by the Daily Beast. Officials call it tasteless, but the creators argue it is free speech. The artist's identity is unknown, which adds to the intrigue by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Simple Morning Habit for a Flatter Belly After 50! Lulutox Undo Abigail Jackson, a press assistant, unleashed on the unnamed creators. She told The Washington Post, "Wow, these liberal activists masquerading as 'artists,' are dumber than I thought." "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. Thank you for your attention to this matter!,' as per a report. Live Events "Perhaps they will incorporate this into their next sculpture," she concluded. Who made the sculpture and why? Unknown artists created the installation, which is allowed to remain until Sunday. It is located where the anti-Trump statue "Dictator Approved" from last week caused a similar uproar. The new piece reinforces the administration's own statements and includes a 15-second loop of Trump's father dancing, not just with the late, disgraced financier. A plaque mocks officials who now complain about being made fun of by quoting the White House's assertion last week that Americans are free to exhibit "so-called 'art,' no matter how ugly it is,' as per a report by the Daily Beast. ALSO READ: Canadian outrage erupts after citizen dies in ICE custody - Carney vs Trump tensions boil over The stunt has been well-liked by tourists and, according to its National Park Service filing, aims "to demonstrate freedom of speech and artistic expression using political imagery." Who the artists are is still a mystery in the art world. A "Mary Harris," but no contact information, is listed on the National Park Service permit. Art detectives believe the name is a reference to labor icon Mary Harris "Mother" Jones, who was well-known for upending the establishment a century ago. It implies that the pranksters consider themselves to be her descendants in the twenty-first century. Since autumn, similar unsigned but stylistically similar bronze tiki torches and tableaux depicting poop on Pelosi desks have inexplicably surfaced in Portland, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. The golden TV appeared where the eight-foot statue "Dictator Approved," which featured a Trumpian thumbs-up stomping Lady Liberty's crown, had been placed the week before. The initial White House outburst regarding "so-called 'art'' was sparked by that earlier piece, which quoted authoritarian leaders applauding Trump. What's Donald Trump's link to Epstein? For many years, people have been talking about Trump's relationship with financier Epstein. Trump was on Epstein's jet seven times, according to flight logs from his trial, and he socialized with Epstein in the 1990s. Elon Musk recently apologized for going too far when he said that Trump was in the Epstein files, which he later removed. Trump's relationship with Epstein is an important aspect of his personal life and is not arbitrary. FAQs Is Donald Trump really dancing with Epstein in the video? No, it's a looped video of Trump next to Epstein, used symbolically as part of the artwork. Who created the Trump-Epstein sculpture? The artists remain anonymous, but the listed name "Mary Harris" is most likely a reference to activist Mother Jones.
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
White House Absolutely Fuming Over Sculpture Showing Trump Dancing With Epstein
The White House failed to see the artistic value of a mysterious installation of a gold 'television' erected in front of the Capitol that plays a video of Donald Trump dancing shoulder-to-shoulder with child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The installation, which was created by unknown artists and is permitted to stay through Sunday, sits where last week's anti-Trump statue 'Dictator Approved' drew similar outrage. Press aide Abigail Jackson unloaded on the anonymous creators. 'Wow, these liberal activists masquerading as 'artists,' are dumber than I thought!' she said in a statement to 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. Thank you for your attention to this matter!' She finished: 'Maybe they will put this on their next sculpture,' she added. The new piece, which features a 15-second loop of Trump's dad dancing, and not just with the late disgraced financier, doubles down on the administration's own words. A plaque quotes last week's White House insistence that Americans are free to display 'so-called 'art,' no matter how ugly it is,' mocking officials who now gripe about being mocked. The stunt's aim, per its National Park Service filing, is 'to demonstrate freedom of speech and artistic expression using political imagery'—and has proven popular with tourists. Just who the artists are remains an art-world whodunit. The National Park Service permit lists a 'Mary Harris,' but no contact details. The Post reports that art sleuths suspect the name is a wink at labor-icon Mary Harris 'Mother' Jones, famous for rattling the powerful a century ago—suggesting the pranksters see themselves as her 21st-century heirs. The golden TV popped up in the same spot as last week's eight-foot statue 'Dictator Approved,' which showed a Trumpian thumbs-up squashing Lady Liberty's crown. That earlier piece quoted authoritarian leaders praising Trump and prompted the original White House crack about 'so-called 'art.'' Similar bronze tiki torches and poop-on-Pelosi-desk tableaux have mysteriously appeared in D.C., Philadelphia, and Portland since autumn, all unsigned but stylistically similar. Trump's cheek-to-cheek history with Epstein has dogged him for years, and his golden two-step with Epstein is hardly random B-roll. The future president socialized with the disgraced financier throughout the 1990s, once calling him a 'terrific guy' who liked 'beautiful women… on the younger side,' and flight logs unsealed during Ghislaine Maxwell's trial listed Trump aboard Epstein's jet seven times. Those links resurfaced this month when Elon Musk blasted on X: 'Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files.' The billionaire Tesla and SpaceX owner claimed the administration is sitting on the documents—a charge which he later deleted, apologizing for going too far. For now, tourists can soak up the D.C. sun watching Trump sway in silence with the sex offender. Meanwhile his press team, which has been approached for comment by the Daily Beast, keeps dancing around the Epstein question—while waiting to see what ignominious installation may pop up next.
