A statue of Donald Trump holding hands with Jeffrey Epstein has been removed from the National Mall in Washington, DC.

The 12ft bronze sculpture was installed on Tuesday with a plaque that read: “In honor of friendship month, we celebrate the long-lasting bond between president Donald J Trump and his ‘closest friend,’ Jeffrey Epstein”.

The sculpture was removed by the United States Park Police on Wednesday. A spokesperson for the Department of the Interior claimed it failed to comply with permit requirements in a statement to the Daily Mail.

A member of the secret handshake group, the collective of protest artists who installed the artwork, told NPR: “The parks department, aka most likely the Trump administration, were trying to find ways to say we were not in compliance.”

“[Removing the statue is] a literal example of the Trump administration toppling free speech when it has been legally permitted and approved because they are scared about whatever Trump is hiding in the Epstein files,” a spokesman for the group told The Daily Beast.