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Claim:
Photographs and footage shared online in March 2026 authentically show a statue depicting U.S. President Donald Trump holding sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in the "Titanic" pose on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
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 on the National Mall on March 10, 2026. This marks the third time the group has placed a statue depicting Trump and Epstein on the Mall, the news outlet reported. As of this writing, it remained unclear how long the latest statue would remain on display.
Numerous reputable sources, including the image repository Getty Images, publishedphotographs of the statue on the National Mall. Reuters also published a video of the statue.
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 appeared in the vicinity of the statue.
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. Following the financier's downfall and suicide, Trump distanced himself from Epstein, saying repeatedly that he was "not a fan."
Sources
"A New 'Titanic' Themed Statue of President Donald Trump and Jeffrey..." Getty Images, 11 Mar. 2026, https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/new-titanic-themed-statue-of-president-donald-trump-and-news-photo/2265377954. Accessed 11 March 2026.
"A Plaque Describes the 'Titanic'-Themed Satirical Statue of U.S...." Getty Images, 11 Mar. 2026, https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/plaque-describes-the-titanic-themed-satirical-statue-of-u-s-news-photo/2265856382. Accessed 11 March 2026.
"A Satirical Statue Depicting U.S. President Donald Trump And..." Getty Images, 11 Mar. 2026, https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/satirical-statue-depicting-u-s-president-donald-trump-and-news-photo/2265366719. Accessed 11 March 2026.
"Banners Hang near a 'Titanic'-Themed Satirical Statue of U.S...." Getty Images, 11 Mar. 2026, https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/banners-hang-near-a-titanic-themed-satirical-statue-of-u-s-news-photo/2265855218. Accessed 11 March 2026.
Heim, Joe. "'Titanic' Statue of Trump and Epstein on the Mall Draws Praise, Scorn." The Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2026, https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2026/03/10/trump-epstein-statue-titanic-mall-washington/. Accessed 11 March 2026.
Liles, Jordan. "Did Trump Once Say Jeffrey Epstein Was a 'Terrific Guy' Who 'Likes Beautiful Women as Much as I Do'?" Snopes, 21 Dec. 2023, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/trump-epstein-terrific-guy/. Accessed 11 March 2026.
PerryCook, Taija. "Is This Photo of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Real?" Snopes, 21 Dec. 2023, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/real-photo-trump-epstein/. Accessed 11 March 2026.
PerryCook, Taija. "Real 1997 Photo of Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Together?" Snopes, 22 July 2024, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/1997-photo-trump-epstein/. Accessed 11 March 2026.
Rascouët-Paz, Anna. "17 Claims about Trump's Relationship with Epstein We've Analyzed." Snopes, 20 July 2025, https://www.snopes.com//collections/trump-epstein-relationship-rumors/. Accessed 11 March 2026.
"Titanic 3D | 'I'm Flying' | Official Clip HD." YouTube, 20th Century Studios UK, 3 Apr. 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YGfrGKK9Mo. Accessed 11 March 2026.
"'Titanic'-Themed Trump-Epstein Statue Appears in DC ." YouTube, Reuters, 10 Mar. 2026, https://www.youtube.com/shorts/QU9DSdEc-Qg. Accessed 11 March 2026.
"What Trump Has Said about Jeffrey Epstein over the Years, Including on 2024 Campaign Trail." ABC News, https://abcnews.com/Politics/trump-jeffrey-epstein-years-including-2024-campaign-trail/story?id=123778541. Accessed 11 March 2026.
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