On the eve of the annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, a video highlighting alleged past ties between President Donald Trump and late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was projected onto the exterior of the hotel building.

The projection appeared on the Washington Hilton, the venue hosting this year’s dinner scheduled for Saturday. The incident comes as political and media circles gather for the high-profile event, which traditionally brings together journalists, politicians and public figures.

A political campaigning group called ‘Led by Donkeys’ shared the two-minute video clip on X on Friday. The protest was led by the group.

The footage, as seen in the clip posted online, included archival images and video clips of Trump alongside Epstein, as well as photos of heavily redacted documents linked to investigations into Epstein’s activities. It also featured a 2019 email sent by Epstein to his partner Ghislaine Maxwell, in which Epstein referred to Trump as “the dog that hasn’t barked”.

The video concludes with a still image of Trump and Epstein accompanied by the message, “END THE COVER-UP”.

Case fading from spotlight?

The projection appeared to be timed to coincide with heightened media attention surrounding the correspondents’ dinner, seemingly aiming to revive scrutiny of Trump’s past association with Epstein. The case, once a dominant global headline, has faded from the forefront of public discourse in recent years.

Earlier this month, First Lady Melania Trump publicly rejected any alleged connection to Epstein. In an unexpected speech, she described claims linking her to the disgraced financier as “unfound and baseless lies”.

“The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today,” she said, adding that those spreading such claims lacked “ethical standards, humility and respect”.

Trump, who had acknowledged knowing Epstein in the past before a reported falling-out, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing or involvement in Epstein’s criminal activities. Epstein, a wealthy financier, was convicted of sex offenses and later arrested on federal sex trafficking charges.

Authorities said Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial, a development that fueled widespread speculation and conspiracy theories.

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Trump ends his boycott

The protest unfolded as Trump prepared to attend the correspondents’ dinner after previously boycotting the event during his presidency. The dinner, first held in 1924, has long been a symbol of the relationship between the US press and political leadership.

Last month, Trump announced he would attend this year’s gathering, ending his earlier boycott. In a post on his platform Truth Social, he said he was invited as an honoree and pledged to make it “the greatest, hottest, and most spectacular dinner” ever.