‘Happy birthday to a terrific guy!’: Trump–Epstein birthday message recreated in giant 10 ft mockup near US Capitol

A ten-foot installation invoking the Trump–Epstein birthday letter controversy has been placed on the National Mall, visually enlarging a document Donald Trump has long denied authoring and pushing it back into the political spotlight.

The structure stands across from the US Capitol at 3rd Street between Madison and Jefferson Drive. One side of the installation reproduces the alleged birthday letter attributed to Donald Trump, bordered by a drawing of a woman. The text includes the line, “We have certain things in common, Jeffrey,” and ends with, “A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday— and may every day be another wonderful secret.”

The reverse side features a shorter message: “Happy Birthday to a ‘Terrific Guy!’”, surrounded by balloon imagery. Together, the two panels form a giant mockup of the birthday card that has been the subject of renewed political scrutiny in recent months. The timing of the installation is apt, as January 20 is the birth date of Jeffrey Epstein.

Activist group invites public participation

The installation was created by an organization calling itself the Secret Handshake, which described the statue as an interactive protest rather than a static monument. Visitors are encouraged to “sign” the oversized card with messages addressed to the administration.




Placed beside the mockup is a smaller sculpture depicting stacked boxes meant to resemble redacted files. A plaque accompanying the display reads:

“The Secret Handshake invites you to celebrate the birthday of President Donald Trump’s ‘closest friend,’ Jeffrey Epstein, with a larger than life tribute to their intimate correspondence.

Feel Free To Sign The Birthday Card With Your Own Message To The Administration.”

The group said the statue was installed overnight on Sunday, deliberately timed to appear one day before Epstein’s birthday. According to the Secret Handshake, the installation has been granted permission to remain on the National Mall until Friday.

Few people have already started arriving there and they are dropping messages. A picture posted online shows what people have written. One visitor wrote, "History has its eyes on you!"

While someone else etched with a colored pen, "The time is always right to the right thing. IMPEACH."

Netizens react

The news of the statue has spread on the internet. Netizens are reacting to the wild statue. One user said, "HOLY SMOKES: A giant replica of the Trump-to-Epstein birthday card just got planted on the National Mall in D.C. today. Front reads: “Happy Birthday to a ‘Terrific Guy!’” And the inside is printed with the bizarre Trump–Epstein dialogue. Sometimes the receipts don’t need a caption. They need a billboard."

Another commented, "Trump should stroll out there today and sign it"

"lmfao this is golden." wrote third.

Disputed letter resurfaces amid broader protest trend

The birthday message referenced by the statue was released in September by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee. The letter, dated 2003, was attributed to Trump during Epstein’s 50th birthday celebrations. Trump has denied writing or sending it, calling the document “false, malicious, and defamatory.”

The mockup is the latest in a series of anti-Trump installations that have appeared on the National Mall in recent months. Previous displays have included a statue depicting Trump holding hands with Epstein, a large gold thumb crushing the Statue of Liberty’s head, a sculpture of Trump dancing inside a gold television set, a “giant bronze poop” statue referencing the January 6 insurrection, and multiple smaller versions of the same theme.