Guerrilla Statues Target Trump in Washington's Public Spaces
In Washington, D.C., unauthorized satirical sculptures targeting President Donald Trump, referred to as "Guerilla Statues," are being installed by activists. A notable example is a 3.5-meter throne resembling marble, complete with a golden toilet seat, which appeared on the National Mall in March, alluding to the renovated bathroom of Lincoln's suite; it was removed by police within hours. On March 10, the Secret Handshake collective unveiled "Best Friends Forever," a 3-meter bronze statue of Trump alongside Jeffrey Epstein, but it was taken down less than a day later near the White House, only for identical replicas to emerge shortly after. The Indecline collective had previously introduced nude Trump statues titled "The Emperor Has No Balls" during the 2016 campaign. Additionally, a $40 million project called the "National Garden of American Heroes" aims to feature 250 sculptures, while a golden statue of Trump by Alan Cottrill is scheduled for display at the Trump Hotel during December's G20 in Miami.
Key facts
- A 3.5-meter throne sculpture with a golden toilet seat was installed on Washington's National Mall in March 2026, referencing Trump's White House bathroom renovations.
- Police removed the throne sculpture within hours of its installation.
- The Secret Handshake collective's "Best Friends Forever" bronze statue depicting Trump with Jeffrey Epstein was dismantled and damaged less than a day after its March 10, 2026 installation near the White House.
- Identical replicas of "Best Friends Forever" were reinstalled days later at the same location and in northwest Washington.
- The Indecline collective began placing nude statues of Trump titled "The Emperor Has No Balls" during the 2016 presidential campaign.
- Trump's administration has reinstated a replica of the Christopher Columbus statue toppled in Baltimore in 2020.
- A $40 million "National Garden of American Heroes" project plans 250 sculptures in West Potomac Park, managed by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
- A golden statue of Trump by Alan Cottrill will be displayed at the Trump Hotel during the December 2026 G20 in Miami.
Entities
Artists
- Alan Cottrill
- Donald Trump
- Jeffrey Epstein
- Barack Obama
- Joe Biden
- George Floyd
- Anna Paulina Luna
- Dan Wenk
- Olivia Deslandes
- Jean-Christophe Castelain
- Marion Krauze
- Gilles Bloch
Institutions
- The Secret Handshake
- Indecline
- Trump Statue Initiative
- National Endowment for the Humanities
- Le Journal des Arts
- ICE
- G20
Locations
- Washington, D.C.
- United States
- National Mall
- Lincoln Memorial
- White House
- Capitol
- West Potomac Park
- Mount Rushmore
- Florida
- Baltimore
- Miami
- New York