President Donald Trump says he will sue comedian Trevor Noah over a joke about Jeffrey Epstein at the Grammy Awards.
Noah made the joke during Sunday nightβs show, and Trump fired back in a post on Truth Social that called the host a βtotal loserβ and warned Noah to βbetter get his facts straight, and get them straight fast.β
Noahβs gag came as he introduced Song of the Year. He said, βSong of the Year – that is a Grammy that every artist wants almost as much as Trump wants Greenland, which makes sense because Epsteinβs island is gone, he needs a new one to hang out with Bill Clinton.β When some in the audience gasped, Noah added, βOh I told you itβs my last year! What are you going to do about it?β
Trump denied Noahβs suggestion and repeated a long standing line that he was never to blame for Epsteinβs crimes. He wrote, βNoah said, INCORRECTLY about me, that Donald Trump and Bill Clinton spent time on Epstein Island. WRONG!!! I canβt speak for Bill, but I have never been to Epstein Island, nor anywhere close, and until tonightβs false and defamatory statement, have never been accused of being there, not even by the Fake News Media.β
He then threatened legal action in the same post, saying, βIt looks like Iβll be sending my lawyers to sue this poor, pathetic, talentless, dope of an M.C., and suing him for plenty$.β
Trump also took aim at the Grammys themselves. He called Noah βalmost as bad as Jimmy Kimmel at the Low Ratings Academy Awards,β and said the show was βthe WORST, virtually unwatchable!β
He added, βCBS is lucky not to have this garbage litter their airwaves any longer,β a reference to the showβs move to a different broadcaster next year.
Noah did not shy away from political jokes during his set. He mocked Nicki Minaj and made other jabs at the president and his allies, drawing laughs and some gasps from a star studded audience. For his part, Noah has not publicly answered Trumpβs threat at the time of writing. Variety and other outlets captured the key lines from his monologue.
California Governor Gavin Newsom responded with a mock press release that copied the presidentβs loud style. He wrote in all caps, βI CANβT BELIEVE VERY TALENTED ARTISTS LIKE KID ROCK AND NICKI MINAJ WERE SNUBBED AGAIN AND WILL BE WALKING HOME WITH ZERO (0) GRAMMYS.β
The post continued in the same voice, and ended with βTHANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. βGOVERNOR GCN.β The jab was clearly meant to poke fun at the whole exchange.
I CANβT BELIEVE VERY TALENTED ARTISTS LIKE KID ROCK AND NICKI MINAJ WERE SNUBBED AGAIN AND WILL BE WALKING HOME WITH ZERO (0) GRAMMYS. THE HATERS WILL SAY THEY ARE βTRASHβ ARTISTS WHO ARE JUST DESPERATE FOR ATTENTION. WRONG!!! THEY ARE OKAY ARTISTS WHO ARE DESPERATE FORβ¦
β Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) February 2, 2026
Legal experts say a public figure like a president faces a high bar when suing for defamation. Courts often require proof that the speaker knew a statement was false or acted with reckless disregard for the truth.
That does not always stop public figures from threatening lawsuits. Trump has a long record of suing or threatening to sue media outlets and personalities over coverage he dislikes.
Featured image via X screengrab
