By Benadeta Mwaura - Reporter
Kenya, February 02, 2026 - U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly criticised Trevor Noah, the host of the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, and threatened legal action after a joke Noah made during the live broadcast referenced Trump and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The comment, delivered during the awards ceremony in Los Angeles, ignited swift backlash, with Trump labelling it “false and defamatory” and signalling his intent to pursue a lawsuit against the comedian.
The controversy began on February 1, 2026, shortly after Billie Eilish was announced as Song of the Year. In his opening monologue, Noah quipped: “That’s a Grammy that every artist wants, almost as much as Trump wants Greenland, which makes sense because, since Epstein’s gone, he needs a new island to hang out with Bill Clinton.”
Trump responded on his social media platform Truth Social, blasting the Grammy Awards as “the WORST and virtually unwatchable” and taking aim directly at Noah.
He denied ever having been to Epstein’s private island or being accused of such, called Noah a “total loser” and said the comment was “false and defamatory.” Trump warned: “I’ll be sending my lawyers to sue this poor, pathetic, talentless, dope of an M.C. … Get ready Noah, I’m going to have some fun with you!”
The remarks cap a broader moment of heightened scrutiny around Epstein-related material. In the preceding days, a large trove of more than three million documents tied to Epstein was publicly released, mentioning numerous high-profile figures, though inclusion in the files does not equate to allegations of wrongdoing.
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Trump has publicly contested the release and characterization of such material as misleading.
Noah’s monologue also included other playful jibes, such as calling his six-year hosting run at the Grammys his final one and teasing both celebrities and political figures, but it was the Epstein island reference that drew the sharpest reaction from the U.S. president.
Legal experts note that public figures face a higher bar in defamation law, and for a lawsuit to succeed, Trump’s team would typically need to show not just that a statement is false but that it was made with “actual malice.” knowledge of falsehood or reckless disregard for the truth. The interplay of comedy, political satire, and free speech could make any legal action complex and highly publicised if it proceeds.
