A protest group known as Led By Donkeys staged a high-profile visual demonstration on the evening of April 24, 2026, projecting a two-minute video onto the exterior of the Washington Hilton as political and media figures gathered for the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
The timing was deliberate, aligning with the 2026 “Nerd Prom,” where President Donald Trump is scheduled to attend for the first time during his presidency after previously skipping the event throughout his first term and the opening year of his second.
The projection, created by Led By Donkeys, included a mix of archival footage showing Trump alongside convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, along with images of redacted documents and audio excerpts of Epstein-related emails. Among the highlighted material was a 2019 email from Epstein to Ghislaine Maxwell in which he referred to Trump as “the dog that hasn’t barked”.
The video concluded with a stark still image of Trump and Epstein together, overlaid with the message “END THE COVER-UP”.
Organizers said the intent was to draw renewed attention to Trump’s historical association with Epstein during a moment of heightened media visibility, as journalists and political figures gathered in Washington for the annual dinner. The event has already sparked internal debate among members of the press corps, with some calling on the White House Correspondents’ Association to use the occasion to reaffirm press independence in the face of ongoing political rhetoric.
This year’s dinner also features mentalist Oz Pearlman as the headline entertainment, adding a lighter programming element to an evening unfolding under intense scrutiny.
The Washington projection is not the group’s first confrontation involving Trump. During a 2025 state visit to the United Kingdom, Led By Donkeys carried out a similar stunt at Windsor Castle, an action that resulted in multiple arrests and drew international attention.
As the Correspondents’ Dinner proceeds, the projection has added another layer of tension to an already closely watched political and media gathering.