A 3.7-metre-high statue of Donald Trump and late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has caused a stir after popping up on Washington DC’s National Mall.

Titled Best Friends Forever, the bronze-painted work features Trump and Epstein holding hands and seemingly skipping happily towards the Washington Monument.

It appeared early on Tuesday (local time) and was due to remain until Sunday night under an approved permit from the US National Park Service.

But it lasted less than a day before it was seen being hauled into a truck by US Park Police.

A spokesperson for the Department of the Interior told US media outlet NPR that the statue was removed “because it was not compliant with the permit issued”, but did not specify how.

Anonymous group The Secret Handshake claimed responsibility for the statue, which was created from a combination of foam, resin, wood and wire.

Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein rise on pedestals. Photo: Supplied

The artists’ group told ARTnews that its work had been “physically destroyed and removed”, despite having a valid permit.

“We found out at the end of the day that some people within the parks department aka most likely the Trump administration were trying to find ways to say we were not in compliance,” a representative for the artists wrote in an email to ARTnews.

“We were then told everything is OK and that if the administration decided to remove it we would have 24 hours notice to take it down ourselves.

“Instead … they showed up in the middle of the night without notice and physically toppled the statue, broke it, and took it away.”

Under the statue were three plaques.

One displayed the purpose of the piece ‘in honour of friendship month’.

“We celebrate the long-lasting bond between President Donald J. Trump and his ‘closest friend’ Jeffrey Epstein,” it read.

A plaque explains the ‘friendship’ theme. Photo: Supplied

A second plaque featured an excerpt from the alleged birthday letter to Epstein signed by Trump, including the line: “We have certain things in common Jeffrey.”

Trump has denied writing the letter.

A White House spokesperson told The Independent the statue was a “waste of money”.

“Liberals are free to waste their money however they see fit – but it’s not news that Epstein knew Donald Trump, because Donald Trump kicked Epstein out of his club for being a creep.

“Democrats, the media, and the organisation that’s wasting their money on this statue knew about Epstein and his victims for years and did nothing to help them while President Trump was calling for transparency, and is now delivering on it with thousands of pages of documents.”

An excerpt from Trump’s alleged letter to Epstein. Photo: Supplied

Earlier this month, Democrats in the US House of Representatives released the birthday letter Trump allegedly wrote to Epstein more than 20 years ago.

The letter, first reported by The Wall Street Journal in July, appears to have been signed by Trump. He has denied doing so and has said it does not exist.

The White House also denies its authenticity.

The birthday letter contains text of a purported dialogue between Trump and Epstein in which Trump calls him a “pal” and says, “May every day be another wonderful secret”. The text sits within a crude sketch of the silhouette of a naked woman.

The book, given to Epstein as a 50th birthday present, is filled with photos of bad haircuts, women and men including Epstein in tight bathing suits and reminiscences from childhood friends, former girlfriends, and people who came to know Epstein after he became wealthy.

The case of Epstein, who died by suicide in prison in 2019, has caused a political headache for Trump after many of his supporters embraced conspiracy theories surrounding the convicted sex offender.

-with AAP