The Brief

A statue of former President Donald Trump holding hands with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein appeared briefly on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., before it was removed after less than a day.

The bronze-painted installation, titled Best Friends Forever , showed the two men smiling, holding hands and skipping. A plaque below the figures referenced "Friendship Month," describing Epstein as Trump’s "closest friend."

What we know:

The National Park Service issued a permit allowing the statue to remain until Sunday evening. But eyewitness video showed U.S. Park Police removing it by truck before sunrise on Wednesday.

A spokesperson for the Department of the Interior told NPR the statue was removed because it was "not compliant with the permit issued,"

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