Reacting sharply to comments made at the Grammy Awards, Donald Trump said he would initiate legal action against comedian and television host Trevor Noah, accusing him of making false and defamatory statements. Trump was responding to Noah’s remarks at the awards ceremony, where the host claimed that Trump had spent time on Epstein Island. Trump categorically denied the allegation, calling it completely incorrect, and also criticised the ceremony itself, describing it as among the worst he had ever seen and virtually impossible to watch.
In a lengthy post on his social media platform, Trump launched a broad attack on the Grammy Awards, saying the show had become unwatchable and asserting that CBS was fortunate to no longer broadcast what he termed “garbage.” He also targeted Noah personally, dismissing him as an ineffective host and comparing him unfavourably to another late-night comedian. Trump wrote that Noah had falsely stated that both Trump and Bill Clinton had spent time on Epstein Island, a claim he emphatically rejected.
Describing Noah’s comments as defamatory, Trump insisted that he had never visited the island or anywhere near it. He said that until Noah’s remarks at the awards ceremony, he had never even been accused of such conduct, adding that not even what he repeatedly referred to as the “fake news media” had made such an allegation against him. He stated that while he could not speak on behalf of Clinton, his own record was clear and free of any connection to the island.
Trump went further by issuing a direct threat of legal action, repeatedly insulting Noah and calling him names while asserting that he would instruct his lawyers to pursue a lawsuit seeking substantial damages. He suggested that others who had faced similar legal action from him could attest to how such matters had turned out, and warned both Noah and CBS to be prepared for what he described as an aggressive response.
During his monologue at the ceremony, Noah had made several barbed jokes aimed at Trump. At one point, he compared artists’ desire to win the “Song of the Year” award to Trump’s interest in acquiring Greenland. He then escalated the humour by suggesting that Trump’s supposed interest in another island made sense after Epstein’s island was no longer available, adding a reference to Clinton in the same breath. The remark reportedly drew audible gasps from the audience.
Anticipating backlash, Noah followed up the joke by telling the crowd that it was his final year as host and rhetorically asking what could be done about his comments, reinforcing the provocative tone of his performance.
