Washington, DC witnessed an unusual protest on Friday as demonstrators projected images and documents connected to US President Donald Trump and late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein onto the exterior of the Washington Hilton. The montage concludes with a photo of Trump alongside Epstein, accompanied by the text “END THE COVER-UP”.
This came ahead of the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner scheduled on Saturday, which Trump is set to attend.
The projection featured photographs and documents linked to Epstein, along with audio that reportedly included readings of his emails. The display attracted several onlookers, with people gathering across the street to witness the protest as the visuals appeared on the building’s facade.
The 2 minute 13 second video features clips and photographs of with , along with images of heavily redacted documents from the Epstein files. It also shows an email sent by Epstein to author Michael Wolff in 2019, in which he referred to Trump as “the dog that hasn’t barked.”
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 issue had largely faded from public discussion, as per Newsweek.
Trump, who had been friends with Epstein for several years before their relationship ended, has repeatedly dismissed allegations of misconduct linked to Epstein. Epstein, a financier and convicted sex offender, was accused of using his connections with wealthy, powerful, and well-known individuals to exploit victims and conceal his crimes.
According to authorities, Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Trump initially reportedly opposed attempts to make public the files from the Department of Justice’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, calling the matter a Democratic hoax. However, he later gave in to pressure from members of his own party and signed a law allowing the release of the documents.
The Justice Department’s phased release of the records later sparked criticism, with some accusing it of trying to shield Trump, while also creating divisions within his MAGA support base.
White House press dinner
This year’s dinner holds special importance as Trump is expected to attend, making it his first appearance at the event while serving as president. His presence has drawn significant attention in Washington, given his often confrontational relationship with the media and his repeated criticism of what he describes as the “fake news” press.
Trump wrote on Truth Social platform, saying, “The Press was extraordinarily bad to me.”
The event is organised by the Correspondents’ Association and has long been seen as a symbol of press freedom, traditionally featuring the sitting president as part of the celebration. Nearly every US president has attended the dinner at least once during their time in office, with Trump being the exception, having skipped it throughout his first term as well as again in 2025.
