A provocative new sculpture appeared overnight on the National Mall, depicting U.S. President Donald Trump tenderly embracing the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in a reimagined scene from the 1997 film Titanic.
Titled King of the World, the life-sized installation surfaced early Tuesday, March 10, directly in front of the U.S. Capitol. The anonymous artist collective behind the work, known only as The Secret Handshake, confirmed to Hyperallergic that the piece is a satirical commentary on power, complicity, and denial.
The sculpture recreates the famous moment when Leonardo DiCaprio’s Jack holds Kate Winslet’s Rose at the bow of the doomed ship — but here, Trump takes Jack’s place, grasping a smiling Epstein as he spreads his arms in mock ecstasy. Below the figures, a bronze plaque delivers an acerbic caption:
“This monument honors the bond between Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, a friendship seemingly built on luxurious travel, raucous parties, and secret nude sketches.”
The artwork arrives days after the U.S. Department of Justice released previously unreleased FBI files containing sexual assault allegations implicating Trump, a development that has reignited scrutiny around his longstanding connection to Epstein. In an email exchange with Hyperallergic, the artist group said the sculpture aimed to “honor [Trump’s] desire to be kinged by making him a version of one of the most iconic references in American culture.”
Accompanying the sculpture are ten large banners flanking the site, each bearing a photo of Trump and Epstein together, a nod to Trump’s recent fascination with featuring his own image on government buildings.
The Secret Handshake, whose past guerrilla installations have repeatedly targeted the former president, has used similar public interventions before. Their previous works included an oversized birthday card allegedly penned by Trump for Epstein and a 2024 statue depicting the two men holding hands on the same site.
As of Wednesday afternoon, curious onlookers gathered to photograph and debate the artwork under a strong police presence. The installation is expected to remain in place through Friday, March 14, pending removal by federal authorities.
Athmaja Biju is the Editor at Abir Pothi. She is a Translator and Writer working on Visual Culture.
