US President Donald Trump has threatened legal action against comedian Trevor Noah after he joked about Trump and Jeffrey Epstein during the Grammy Awards.
While hosting the ceremony, Noah quipped:
“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.”
Trump, who was associated with Epstein for several years, has consistently denied any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes and says they fell out around 2004. There is no evidence suggesting Trump ever visited Epstein’s private island, and he has not been accused of wrongdoing by any of Epstein’s victims. Similarly, former President Bill Clinton has denied ever visiting Epstein’s island and has not been implicated in any crimes.
In response to Noah’s joke, Trump posted on Truth Social:
“Noah said, INCORRECTLY about me, that Donald Trump and Bill Clinton spent time on Epstein Island. WRONG!!! 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… Noah, a total loser, better get his facts straight, and get them straight fast. Get ready Noah, I’m going to have some fun with you!”
Epstein, who owned a private island purchased in 1998, was found dead in his New York prison cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Multiple survivors have alleged they were trafficked and abused on the island.
Trump has a history of legal disputes with media organisations, including lawsuits against The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and, most recently in December 2025, a multi-billion dollar defamation suit against the BBC over the editing of a Panorama programme.
Trevor Noah, born in South Africa, hosted The Daily Show on Comedy Central in the United States for seven years and is known for his satirical commentary on politics and current events.
