U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened legal action against comedian Trevor Noah following a joke made at the Grammy Awards that referenced Jeffrey Epstein, describing the remark as false and defamatory.
The controversy erupted when Noah, serving as host, joked that winning Song of the Year was something artists wanted “almost as much as Trump wants Greenland,” before adding that with Jeffrey Epstein’s island now gone, Trump “needs a new one to hang out with Bill Clinton.”
The line drew laughter inside the venue. Trump, however, was not amused.
Within hours, he took to his Truth Social platform, accusing Noah of spreading false and defamatory claims and threatening legal action.
“Noah said, INCORRECTLY about me, that Donald Trump and Bill Clinton spent time on Epstein Island. WRONG!!!” Trump wrote.
“I have never been to Epstein Island, nor anywhere close, and until tonight’s false and defamatory statement, have never been accused of being there, not even by the Fake News Media.”
He went further, calling Noah “a total loser” and warning him to “get his facts straight, and get them straight fast,” before adding: “Get ready Noah, I’m going to have some fun with you!”
Trump has long acknowledged that he knew Jeffrey Epstein socially but insists he had no knowledge of Epstein’s crimes and says the relationship ended around 2004. There are no allegations that Trump ever visited Epstein’s private island, Little St James, and he has not been accused of any wrongdoing by Epstein’s victims. The US Department of Justice has previously described claims linking Trump to Epstein’s crimes as unfounded and false.
Epstein was found dead in a New York prison cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. His private island, purchased in 1998, has since become central to allegations by multiple survivors who say they were trafficked there and abused.
Former US President Bill Clinton has also denied any involvement. In 2020, a spokesperson said Clinton had “never been” to Epstein’s island and has not been accused of any crime.
Trump also used the moment to lash out at the Grammy Awards themselves, describing the show as “virtually unwatchable” and criticising CBS for airing what he called “garbage.” He compared Noah unfavourably to late-night host Jimmy Kimmel and questioned the comedian’s relevance and talent.
The episode fits a familiar pattern. In recent years, Trump has increasingly turned to the courts in battles with the media. He has filed lawsuits against major outlets including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.
In December, he escalated that trend by filing a multi-billion-dollar defamation lawsuit in a Florida court against the BBC, accusing the broadcaster of misleading editing in a Panorama documentary—an action that drew widespread attention across media and legal circles.
Trevor Noah, a South African-born comedian and former host of The Daily Show, is no stranger to political satire. But the backlash highlights just how explosive any reference to Epstein remains, especially when it brushes against powerful figures determined to protect their public image.
Whether Trump’s threat turns into an actual lawsuit or remains another headline-grabbing warning remains to be seen. What is clear is that in today’s political climate, even a joke on an awards-night stage can quickly spiral into a national controversy.
