US President Donald Trump has threatened to sue comedian Trevor Noah after Noah made a joke about him and Jeffrey Epstein during the Grammy Awards.
While hosting the ceremony, Noah said: “Song of the Year—that is a Grammy every artist wants almost as much as Trump wants Greenland, which makes sense because Epstein’s island is gone, he needs a new one to hang out with Bill Clinton.”
Trump, who was a known associate of Epstein, has denied any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes. He claims they fell out around 2004, has never visited Epstein’s private island, and has not been accused of any wrongdoing by Epstein’s victims. The US Justice Department has called allegations against him “unfounded and false.” Former President Bill Clinton has also denied ever visiting Epstein’s island and has not been accused of any crimes.
In response to Noah’s joke, Trump said he would be “sending my lawyers to sue.” On Truth Social, he posted: “Noah said, INCORRECTLY about me, that Donald Trump and Bill Clinton spent time on Epstein Island. WRONG!!! I can't speak for Bill, but I have never been to Epstein Island, nor anywhere close, and until tonight’s false and defamatory statement, have never been accused of being there, not even by the Fake News Media. Noah, a total loser, better get his facts straight, and get them straight fast. Get ready Noah, I'm going to have some fun with you!”
Epstein was found dead in his New York prison cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. He had purchased a private island in 1998, where multiple survivors later alleged they were trafficked and abused.
Trump has pursued legal action against several media organizations in recent years, including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and, in December, the BBC over its Panorama programme.
Noah, a South African-born comedian, hosted The Daily Show on Comedy Central in the US for seven years.
