US President Donald Trump has launched a blistering attack on South African-born comedian Trevor Noah, following a joke made during the 2026 Grammy Awards, threatening legal action and branding the awards ceremony “virtually unwatchable”.
A livid Trump took to his Truth Social platform on Monday to accuse Noah, the host of the Grammys, of making what he called a “false and defamatory” statement suggesting that Trump and former US president Bill Clinton had spent time on disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein’s private island.
“Wrong, I can’t speak for Bill, but I have never been to Epstein Island, nor anywhere close,” Trump wrote, insisting he had never been accused of visiting the island before.
He went on to describe Noah as a “poor, pathetic, talentless dope” and warned that his lawyers would be getting involved.
Trump criticises the Grammys
The controversy stems from a moment during the live broadcast that has since circulated widely on social media, including Instagram Reels.
Shortly after Billie Eilish accepted her award, Noah said: “Congratulations, Billie Eilish. Wow, that is a Grammy that every artist wants, almost as much as Trump wants Greenland, which makes sense. I mean, Epstein’s island is gone, and he needs a new one to hang around Bill Clinton.”
The remark drew a mixture of laughter and audible gasps in the audience while sparking immediate online debate and backlash from Trump supporters.
Trump also used his Truth Social post to criticise the Grammy Awards, claiming CBS was “lucky” not to be airing the show anymore, and compared Noah unfavourably to late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, whom he blamed for declining television ratings.
As of publication, neither Noah nor the Recording Academy had issued a formal response to Trump’s threats.
Noah, who previously hosted The Daily Show for seven years, is known for weaving sharp political commentary into his comedy and has frequently poked fun at Trump over the years.
This latest clash, however, marks one of the most aggressive responses Trump has directed at an entertainer since returning to office.
Sex trafficking charges
Legal analysts in the US have repeatedly pointed out that defamation cases involving public figures face a high legal threshold, particularly when the disputed statements are made in a satirical or comedic context.
Trump has previously threatened legal action against journalists and broadcasters, with varying results.
The mention of Epstein, who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, remains a sensitive issue in American public discourse.
While several high-profile figures have been linked to Epstein socially, such associations do not imply criminal wrongdoing.
Trump has previously acknowledged knowing Epstein in the 1990s but has consistently denied any involvement in Epstein’s crimes or visiting his island.
