In March 2026, photographs and footage circulated online purportedly showing a new statue of U.S. President Trump with sex offender and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein in Washington, D.C. The statue was positioned to mimic the famous pose from the 1997 film "Titanic," in which the lead characters, Jack and Rose, stand at the bow of the ship while Rose's arms are outstretched.
A Facebook page for the self-described "pro-democracy" media outlet MeidasTouch shared photos of the statue with the following caption:
A statue depicting Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein styled like Jack and Rose from Titanic appeared on the National Mall today, showing the two figures standing on a ship's bow with their arms outstretched in the film's famous "King of the World" pose.
The gold-painted installation includes a plaque referencing the fictional love story from Titanic, but repurposes it to describe the relationship between Trump and Epstein, mentioning "luxurious travel, raucous parties, and secret nude sketches."
The statue sits with the U.S. Capitol visible behind it and quickly drew attention from people walking along the Mall.
Photos of the installation are now spreading widely online as visitors stop to take pictures and read the plaque.
The photos and footage authentically showed a statue depicting Trump and Epstein in the famous "Titanic" pose. According to a plaque at its base, the nearly 12-foot-tall golden statue, titled "The King of the World," parodies the film's romance between Jack and Rose to comment on the relationship between Trump and Epstein.
According to The Washington Post, an anonymous group of artists known as "The Secret Handshake" installed the statue o
(Celal Gunes/Anadolu/Getty Images)
The plaque at the base of the statue reads:
The King of the World
The tragic love story between Jack and Rose was built on luxurious travel, raucous parties, and secret nude sketches. This monument honors the bond between Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, a friendship seemingly built on luxurious travel, raucous parties and secret nude sketches.
(Heather Diehl/Getty Images)
The plaque references the 1997 film "Titanic," which follows the tragic love story between characters Jack and Rose as they sail on the ship Titanic, a luxury liner that sank on its first voyage in 1912. During one scene, Jack stands at the bow of the ship and shouts, "I'm the king of the world!" Trump and Epstein's pose in the statue mimics another moment in the film when Jack holds Rose at the same spot as she spreads her arms wide, as seen below:
Numerous banners with the message "Make America Safe Again" alongside photos of Trump and Epstein — as well as the insignia of the U.S. Justice Department with the word "Justice" covered — also
The Washington Post obtained a copy of the permit used by the artist collective that installed the statue and reported they used a go-between to apply for permission, maintaining their anonymity. The end date for the installation was redacted from the permit.
Snopes has extensively covered the relationship between Trump and Epstein, who became friends in the 1980s, according to Trump. Epstein died in prison in 2019. We previously reported how, in a 2002 interview, Trump said, "I've known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy." The two men were also photographed together on multiple occasions. F