A large public art installation appeared overnight on Washington, DC’s National Mall. It features a 12-foot-tall replica of a controversial birthday card allegedly linked to US President Donald Trump and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, installed ahead of Epstein’s January 20 birthday.
What the installation shows
The installation recreates an alleged note that reportedly appeared in a book of birthday cards for Epstein in the early 2000s.
The message includes an outline of a naked woman, a signature reading “Donald,” and the line: “Happy Birthday, and may every day be another wonderful secret."
The other side of the replica reads, “Happy Birthday To A ‘Terrific Guy!’”
According to the group behind the piece, the timing was deliberate: it went up just one day before Epstein’s birthday and is permitted to remain on the National Mall through January 23. Organisers said they deliberately placed it where passersby and tourists would see it, with a plaque inviting participants to “sign the Birthday Card with Your Own Message to the Administration.”
Also read | Trump’s travel logs, controversial emails exposed in latest tranche of Epstein files
Who put the installation?
The installation was put up by an activist collective calling itself The Secret Handshake, which has previously deployed provocative works on federal landmarks in Washington. Last fall, the same group installed a controversial statue showing Trump and Epstein together.
The birthday note itself became public as part of broader attention on the Epstein files released by lawmakers and media last year. Trump has denied writing or signing the original message, calling the reporting around it “false” and has even pursued legal action over the way those documents were published.
Reactions to the giant card have been mixed. Some onlookers and online commentators view it as a clever piece of protest art that challenges powerful figures and sparks debate about accountability and transparency. Others have called it crude or sensationalist.
