Trump Can’t Let Go of Trevor Noah’s Epstein Jokes

President Donald Trump threatened to sue comedian Trevor Noah after a joke delivered during the Grammy Awards, accusing the host of making a false and defamatory statement about his alleged presence on Jeffrey Epstein’s private island.

In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump reacted angrily to Noah’s remarks during the broadcast, writing that the Grammys were «the WORST, virtually unwatchable!» and attacking CBS for airing what he described as «garbage.» Trump said Noah had wrongly claimed that he and former president Bill Clinton spent time on Epstein Island, a claim Trump denied categorically. «WRONG!!!» Trump wrote, adding that he had «never been to Epstein Island, nor anywhere close.»

The comments Trump objected to were made during Noah’s opening monologue at the ceremony, where the comedian delivered a joke referencing Trump, Epstein, and Clinton in a broader comedic aside. On stage, Noah said:

«That is a Grammy that every artist wants, almost as much as Trump wants Greenland, which makes sense, because Epstein’s island is gone, he needs a new one to hang out on with Bill Clinton.» Trump seized on the line, writing that the statement was «false and defamatory» and asserting that he had never previously been accused of being connected to Epstein’s island, including by what he referred to as the «Fake News Media.»

The exchange quickly spread online, reigniting debate over political satire and Trump’s decision to frame a comedian’s joke as defamation.

Trump’s post concluded with a direct legal threat, marking a rare instance of a sitting president publicly signaling potential litigation over a late-night or awards-show joke.

Referring to Noah as «a total loser,» Trump wrote that the comedian «better get his facts straight, and get them straight fast.» He added: «It looks like I’ll be sending my lawyers to sue this poor, pathetic, talentless, dope of an M.C., and suing him for plenty$.»

Trump also referenced past legal disputes, writing: «Ask Little George Slopadopolus, and others, how that all worked out. Also ask CBS!» Neither Noah nor CBS had publicly responded at the time of publication.

At the same ceremony where Trump threatened to sue Trevor Noah, several artists used their platforms to vocalise opposition to the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies and actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, broadening the political message beyond Noah’s joke. Puerto Rican star Bad Bunny opened his acceptance speech by declaring «ICE out» and emphasising human dignity over hate, saying that immigrants are «humans and we are Americans», a line that drew sustained applause from the audience and highlighted frustration with federal enforcement actions.

Billie Eilish, after winning Song of the Year, said «No one is illegal on stolen land» and urged people to keep fighting, while she and her brother Finneas wore «ICE OUT» pins on the red carpet to visibly protest ICE’s activities under the current administration.

Other artists, including Olivia Dean and nominees such as Justin and Hailey Bieber, also wore similar pins or referenced immigrant rights during the evening, signalling a broader cultural backlash against immigration policies and enforcement tactics that critics link to the Trump presidency.