Trump Threatens Lawsuit Against Trevor Noah After Epstein Joke at Grammys
Donald Trump has threatened legal action against comedian Trevor Noah after a joke he made during the Grammy Awards that linked the president to Jeffrey Epstein.
Noah, who hosted the Grammys for the sixth and final time, made the remark while introducing the song of the year category. “Song of the Year - 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 with Bill Clinton.” He later added, “I told you, it's my last year! What are you going to do about it?”
Trump quickly fired back on his social media platform Truth Social, angrily rejecting any suggestion that he had visited Epstein’s private island. “Noah said, INCORRECTLY about me, that Donald Trump and Bill Clinton spent time on Epstein Island. WRONG!!!” he wrote. “I can't speak for Bill, but 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.”
The president went further, calling Noah “a total loser” and warning, “Get ready Noah, I'm going to have some fun with you!” In another post, Trump said he would “be sending my lawyers to sue”.
Trump also used the moment to lash out at the awards show itself, writing: “The Grammy Awards are the WORST, virtually unwatchable!” and describing Noah as “a poor, pathetic, talentless, dope of an M.C.”
Epstein died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. Survivors have accused him of abusing them, including on his private island, Little St James. Trump has acknowledged socialising with Epstein in the 1990s but says they fell out around 2004 and claims that he had no knowledge of the crimes Epstein was accused of committing.
The US Justice Department has said that the allegations that Trump was involved in Epstein’s crimes are unfounded and false, and that there is no evidence that he ever visited the island. Bill Clinton has also denied any wrongdoing. A spokesperson previously said the former president had “never been” to Epstein’s island.
The latest exchange comes as the Justice Department releases a massive new batch of Epstein-related records, bringing renewed attention to the financier’s network of associates. Trump, meanwhile, has a history of threatening or pursuing lawsuits against media organisations and public figures, including recent legal action involving the BBC, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.
Noah, a South African-born comedian best known for hosting The Daily Show, has not publicly responded to Trump’s threat.
