Here is why Trevor Noah’s Grammys joke has Trump seeing red

Trevor Noah

Cape Town – US President Donald Trump has escalated a public feud with South African comedian Trevor Noah, threatening to sue him after a joke Noah made while hosting the 68th Annual Grammy Awards on February 1, 2026.

The controversy has been compounded by the resurfacing of an old Noah social‑media post about minors, drawing renewed online attention in the midst of the legal threats.

At the Grammys  Noah’s sixth and final time as host  the comedian delivered a satirical monologue that touched on Trump’s political ambitions and controversial associations.

While congratulating Billie Eilish on winning Song of the Year, Noah quipped: “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 one to hang out on with Bill Clinton.”

In response, Trump took to his Truth Social platform early Monday, vehemently denying the implication tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and promising legal action. “Noah said, INCORRECTLY about me, that Donald Trump and Bill Clinton spent time on Epstein Island.

WRONG!!!” he wrote, adding: “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.”

Trump’s post went beyond simply refuting the joke — it was laced with personal insults and a legal threat. “Noah, a total loser, better get his facts straight, and get them straight fast. It looks like I’ll be sending my lawyers to sue this poor, pathetic, talentless, dope of an M.C., and suing him for plenty dollars,” he wrote, later adding, “Get ready Noah, I’m going to have some fun with you!”

Trump also criticized the entire broadcast, calling the Grammys “the WORST” and accusing Noah of lacking credibility.

Amid the legal furor, a 2012 tweet by Noah resurfaced online, drawing fresh scrutiny. The post read, “People who have children should be arrested for tempting child molesters.”

A satirical jab at then‑news about police in eSwatini suggesting that certain clothing “tempted” men to commit rape.

According to archived posts from the time, Noah followed up in the same hashtag thread with similarly ironic lines such as, “Arrest people with nice things for provoking robbers!” and “If someone steps on your foot, apologise for putting your foot underneath theirs.”

Noah addressed criticism, stating, “To reduce my views to a handful of jokes that didn’t land is not a true reflection of my character, nor my evolution as a comedian.”

Article written by