Washington, DC witnessed an unusual protest on Friday as protesters projected images and documents linked to US President Donald Trump and late-convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein onto the exterior of the Washington Hilton. The montage ends with a photo of Trump next to Epstein, accompanied by the text “END THE COVER-UP”.
This came ahead of the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner scheduled for Saturday, which Trump is expected to attend.
The screening included photos and documents associated with Epstein, along with audio that allegedly included the reading of his emails. The exhibition attracted several spectators and people gathered across the street to witness the protest as the visuals appeared on the facade of the building.
The 2-minute-13-second video features clips and photos of Trump with Epstein, along with images of heavily redacted documents from Epstein’s files. It also shows an email Epstein sent to author Michael Wolff in 2019 in which he called Trump a “dog that didn’t bark.”
It is still unknown who was behind the video montage, but the protest appeared to use the attention surrounding the annual dinner to refocus public attention on Trump’s past association with Jeffrey Epstein, at a time when the matter had largely disappeared from public discussion, according to Newsweek.
Trump, who was friends with Epstein for several years before their relationship ended, has repeatedly denied allegations of wrongdoing involving Epstein. Epstein, a financier and convicted sex offender, was accused of using his connections to the rich, powerful and famous to exploit victims and cover up his crimes.
Authorities say Epstein died by suicide in a New York City jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.
Trump initially reportedly opposed attempts to release files from the Justice Department’s Jeffrey Epstein investigation, calling the matter a Democratic fraud. However, he later gave in to pressure from members of his own party and signed a law allowing the documents to be released.
The Justice Department’s gradual release of the records later drew criticism, with some accusing them of trying to protect Trump while creating division within his MAGA support base.
White House Press Dinner
This year’s dinner has special significance because Trump is expected to attend, his first appearance at the event as president. His presence has attracted considerable attention in Washington given his often confrontational relationship with the media and repeated criticism of what he describes as “fake news”.
Trump wrote on the Truth Social platform: “The press has been extremely bad for me.
The event is organized by the White House Correspondents’ Association and has long been considered a symbol of freedom of the press, traditionally the sitting president also appears as part of the celebration. Almost every US president has attended the dinner at least once during their term in office, with the exception of Trump, who skipped it during his first term and also in 2025.
