Donald Trump Claims Defamation After Trevor Noah’s Grammys Epstein Joke

President Donald Trump is firing back at comedian Trevor Noah after a joke made during the Grammy Awards sparked outrage, and now, a legal threat. Trump took to his Truth Social platform on Monday to unload on both Noah and the awards show itself, calling the 2026 Grammys “the WORST” and “virtually unwatchable.” Donald Trump also took aim at CBS, which is set to end its long-running broadcast deal with the ceremony after 2026, saying the network was “lucky” it would no longer be airing what he described as “garbage.”

Noah, who hosted Sunday night’s ceremony at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena, didn’t shy away from political humor during his monologue, including a jab involving Nicki Minaj. “Nicki Minaj is not here,” Noah said to loud cheers from the crowd. “She is still at the White House with Donald Trump discussing very important issues.”

The comment referenced Minaj’s recent visit to Washington, where she praised Trump, a move that many saw as part of her increasingly public alignment with MAGA politics. Noah then slipped into a Trump impression, adding, “Actually, Nicki, I have the biggest a-s. Everybody’s saying it, Nicki.”

But it was a later joke that truly set Trump off.

After Billie Eilish took home Song of the Year, Noah cracked, “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 island to hang out with Bill Clinton.”

The punchline drew laughs inside the arena, but outside of it, Trump was furious. In a lengthy Truth Social post following the broadcast, Trump denied ever visiting Jeffrey Epstein’s private island and accused Noah of spreading false and defamatory claims. “Noah said, INCORRECTLY about me, that Donald Trump and Bill Clinton spent time on Epstein Island. WRONG!!!” Trump wrote. “I can’t speak for Bill, but I have never been to Epstein Island, nor anywhere close.”

He went on to insist that he had never previously been accused of visiting the island, adding that the comment crossed a legal line. Trump then escalated the feud by threatening legal action. “Noah, a total loser, better get his facts straight, and get them straight fast,” Trump wrote. “It looks like I’ll be sending my lawyers to sue this poor, pathetic, talentless, dope of an M.C.”

Noah also slipped in another jab at Donald Trump later in the show, poking fun at the president’s well-documented habit of threatening lawsuits against media companies. At one point, Trevor Noah reminded viewers that the Grammy Awards were airing “completely live,” before adding that the reason was simple.

“If we edited any of the show, the president would sue CBS for $16 billion," he said. The line referenced Trump’s recent legal battles involving CBS News, as well as a high-profile settlement reached with Paramount last summer.

Trevor Noah didn’t just draw a response from President Trump, but he also sparked immediate backlash online following his Grammys punchlines. As clips from the broadcast spread across social media, critics piled on, accusing the comedian of turning the music awards into a political soapbox.

Several users slammed Noah’s Epstein-related joke as crossing a line, with some calling it “defamatory” and others questioning whether he should still be hosting major entertainment events. “Trevor is cooked,” one user wrote, while another added, “He’s definitely not a comedian anymore. More like a politician.”

Others went even harder, criticizing Noah’s overall tone during the night. “Trevor Noah pretending he’s edgy when he’s been nothing but a generic, cookie-cutter host his entire career,” one commenter posted, while another complained that the Grammys had turned into “political commentary 101.”

Some reactions focused specifically on the legal implications of the joke, echoing Trump’s own response. “Wow, such a defamatory statement,” one user wrote, suggesting Noah may have gone too far with the remark.

While Trevor Noah faced backlash over his Grammys joke, plenty of viewers came to his defense and used the moment to take direct aim at Donald Trump instead.

Supporters flooded social media with posts backing Trevor Noah, brushing off Trump’s outrage and mocking the lawsuit threat altogether. “How anyone can think this man is great is truly the most puzzling thing to me,” one user wrote, while another rallied behind the comedian with, “We ride at dawn for Trevor.”

Others zeroed in on Trump’s legal bluster, suggesting it could backfire. “If he sues, there will be discovery,” one post read. “So… yeah, he’s not gonna sue.”

Whether Trump follows through on his lawsuit threat remains to be seen.