--- title: Trump Threatens to Sue Grammys Host Noah Over Epstein Joke description: "Get ready, Noah, I’m going to have some fun with you," the President warned. canonical: https://time.com/7364404/trump-epstein-joke-lawsuit-threat-trevor-noah-grammys/ author: Callum Sutherland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2026-02-02T13:47:15.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-03T00:32:25.000Z article:section: Politics og:title: Trump Threatens to Sue Grammys Host Over Epstein Joke og:description: "Get ready, Noah, I’m going to have some fun with you," the President warned. og:url: https://time.com/7364404/trump-epstein-joke-lawsuit-threat-trevor-noah-grammys/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltab42f51b0bed8780/6998cd4de2d64b7136c60098/trump-noah-epstein-feb1.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: US-POLITICS-TRUMP og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Trump Threatens to Sue Grammys Host Over Epstein Joke twitter:description: "Get ready, Noah, I’m going to have some fun with you," the President warned. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltab42f51b0bed8780/6998cd4de2d64b7136c60098/trump-noah-epstein-feb1.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Trump Threatens to Sue Grammys Host Trevor Noah Over Epstein Joke: 'Get Ready' > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ## Video: Top fashion moments from the 2026 Grammy Awards red carpet [Watch (HLS stream): Top fashion moments from the 2026 Grammy Awards red carpet](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/9vWAXf6V.m3u8) (2:26)  _Published 2026-02-02. The biggest names in music gathered on the red carpet at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles for the 68th Grammy Awards._ by [Callum Sutherland](https://time.com/author/callum-sutherland/) ## Callum Sutherland Reporter Updated: Feb 3, 2026 12:32 AM UTCPublished: Feb 2, 2026 1:47 PM UTC  President Donald Trump speaks to the press in Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, on Feb. 1, 2026. President Donald Trump speaks to the press in Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, on Feb. 1, 2026. Saul Loeb—Getty Images by [Callum Sutherland](https://time.com/author/callum-sutherland/) ## Callum Sutherland Reporter Updated: Feb 3, 2026 12:32 AM UTCPublished: Feb 2, 2026 1:47 PM UTC President Donald Trump has threatened to sue Trevor Noah over a joke the comedian made while hosting the Grammy Awards ceremony on Sunday evening. The former host of _The Daily Show_ made reference to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. “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,” [said](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115999513470647838) Trump. “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$.” “Get ready, Noah, I’m going to have some fun with you,” Trump added. During the awards show, after musician Billie Eilish received the “Song of the Year” accolade, Noah joked: “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 with Bill Clinton.” Amid laughs from the audience, Noah added: “I told you it’s my last year \[presenting\]. What are you going to do about it?” (The House Oversight Committee on Jan. 21 [voted](https://time.com/7355906/bill-clinton-hillary-epstein-investigation-contempt-house-oversight-committee/) to recommend holding former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in contempt for refusing to testify in the panel’s Epstein investigation. On Monday evening, an aide announced that the Clintons had reversed course and [agreed to testify.](https://x.com/angelurena/status/2018466236766765153) Former President Clinton has not been accused of wrongdoing and denies having any knowledge of Epstein's crimes.) Trump has also long denied having any prior knowledge of Epstein’s conduct. He has, on a number of occasions, staunchly denied ever visiting Epstein Island. In July 2025, during a trip to Scotland, he said: “I never had the privilege of going to his island, and I did turn it down, but a lot of people in Palm Beach were invited to his island. In one of my very good moments, I turned it down.” In his lawsuit threat, Trump made reference to ABC host George Stephanopoulos, painting him as a warning to behold. Trump sued ABC and Stephanopoulos in 2024 after the latter falsely claimed during a _This Week_ interview that Trump had been “found liable for rape” and “defaming the victim of that rape” in a case with Jean Carroll. In December of that year, a settlement was reached in the defamation lawsuit, with ABC—who issued an “[Editor’s Note](https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/nancy-mace-defends-support-trump-after-found-liable/story?id=107964612)” after the episode aired—agreeing to pay $15 million to Trump’s presidential library. Trump also described the Grammy Awards as “virtually unwatchable” and said Noah is “almost as bad” as his late-night TV adversary Jimmy Kimmel, with whom the President is engaged in a long feud. Noah’s quip at the Grammys came after the [Justice Department released](https://time.com/7362445/epstein-files-million-pages-trump-department-justice/) 3.5 million more pages from the Epstein files on Friday, over a month past the deadline set by Congress. The newly-released files show exchanges between several high-profile figures and the disgraced financier. Tesla CEO [Elon Musk](https://time.com/7362868/elon-musk-epstein-emails/) apparently showed interest in visiting Epstein’s island in the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to the emails. [In a response issued on Saturday,](https://x.com/elonmusk/status/2017490775324655826?s=20) Musk said he had “very little correspondence” with Epstein and had “declined repeated invitations” to visit the island or fly on his jet. He added he was “well aware that some email correspondence with him could be misinterpreted and used by detractors to smear my name.” Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (known as Prince Andrew before he was stripped of his royal title in late 2025) was also mentioned in the newly-released files. He was photographed leaning over a woman on the floor, whose face has been redacted. It’s unclear when or where the photographs were taken. Mountbatten-Windsor was famously interviewed on [BBC’s _Newsnight_](https://time.com/6963952/scoop-netflix-true-story/)about the nature of his relationship with Epstein. The royal visited Epstein in 2010, following the disgraced financier’s conviction and release from prison. They were photographed walking through Central Park. Mountbatten-Windsor was accused of sexual abuse himself by one of Epstein’s victims, the late Virginia Giuffre. He strongly denied the allegations. In January 2022, he was stripped of his key military titles and royal patronages in the midst of a civil sexual abuse case brought forward by Giuffre. A month later, Mountbatten-Windsor [settled the lawsuit with Giuffre](https://time.com/6149123/prince-andrew-settlement-virginia-giuffre-royal-finances/) for an undisclosed amount.  Trevor Noah at the 68th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, on Feb. 1, 2026. Christopher Polk/Billboard—Getty Images ## **What do we know about Trump's relationship with Epstein?** Trump’s relationship with Epstein dates back decades. In a [2002 interview](https://nymag.com/nymetro/news/people/n%5F7912/) with New York _Magazine_, he famously said that Epstein was “a lot of fun to be with.” “It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side,” Trump is quoted as telling the reporter. In July 2019, NBC News’ TODAY released unearthed [footage](https://www.today.com/video/new-tape-shows-trump-and-epstein-at-mar-a-lago-party-in-1992-64003141847), believed to be from 1992, which showed Trump greeting Epstein at his Mar-a-Lago estate. The two men could be seen engaging in conversation. Amid Epstein’s 2019 arrest on federal sex trafficking charges, Trump made strides to distance himself. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office in 2019, [Trump said](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/09/us/politics/trump-epstein.html): “I had a falling out with him \[Epstein\]. I haven’t spoken to him in 15 years. I was not a fan of his, that I can tell you.” (Epstein was initially sentenced to 18 months imprisonment in 2008 after pleading guilty to state charges—one count of soliciting prostitution and one count of soliciting prostitution from someone under the age of 18\. He was in custody once more awaiting trial on federal charges for the sex trafficking of minors when he [died in a New York jail cell](https://time.com/5649271/jeffrey-epstein-suicide/) in 2019.) Amid renewed calls for the Department of Justice to release the Epstein files in-full, Trump's former relationship with the convicted sex offender came under the spotlight again last year after a birthday letter, alleged to have been signed by Trump and addressed to Epstein, was published. It was one of several letters said to be written by high-profile figures for a book celebrating Epstein’s 50th birthday in 2003. The White House [staunchly denied](https://time.com/7315735/trump-epstein-letter-check-karoline-leavitt/) that Trump wrote Epstein the birthday note, but stopped short of calling the documents fake. (The birthday letter was initially reported on by the [Wall Street _Journal_](https://www.wsj.com/politics/trump-jeffrey-epstein-birthday-letter-we-have-certain-things-in-common-f918d796?mod=hp%5Flead%5Fpos7) in July. Trump responded by filing a [lawsuit](https://time.com/7303381/trump-epstein-documents-wsj-letter/) against the publication.) In November, resurfaced emails released by the House Democrats showed Epstein alleging that Trump “[knew about the girls](https://time.com/7333327/new-jeffrey-epstein-emails-allege-trump-aware-of-conduct/)” and “spent hours” at Epstein’s house with one of them. Responding to the release of the emails in November, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told TIME: “The Democrats selectively leaked emails to the liberal media to create a fake narrative to smear President Trump. The ‘unnamed victim’ referenced in these emails is the late Virginia Giuffre, who repeatedly said President Trump was not involved in any wrongdoing whatsoever and ‘couldn’t have been friendlier’ to her in their limited interactions.” **Read More**: [_Newly-Surfaced Emails From Epstein Allege Trump Knew of His Conduct. Here’s What They Say_](https://time.com/7333327/new-jeffrey-epstein-emails-allege-trump-aware-of-conduct/) ## **Trump’s history of lawsuits, feuds with comedians and the media** From [Rosie O’Donnell](https://time.com/7314445/trump-threatens-rosie-odonnell-citizenship-response-epstein-files/) to Jimmy Kimmel, Trump has a [long history of feuds](https://time.com/7342412/trump-musk-kimmel-newsom/?mrfhud=true) with comedians and late-night TV talk show hosts. Trump [clashed with Kimmel several times](https://time.com/7318768/trump-kimmel-feud-history-fired-threats-epstein-row/) in 2025 alone, most notably after Kimmel mocked the President for his response to a reporter’s question over the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. After much of Trump’s response appeared to focus on the construction of the White House ballroom, [Kimmel](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j3YdxNSzTk&t=121s) said: “This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he called a friend… This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish.” The comedian then went on to say that the “MAGA gang” was trying to “score political points” following Kirk’s assassination. The comedian’s show, _Jimmy Kimmel Live!,_ was suspended in the wake of his remarks. “Great news for America. The ratings-challenged Jimmy Kimmel show is CANCELLED. Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done,” Trump said, shortly after Kimmel’s suspension was announced. Trump went on to reference [the cancellation of _The Late Show with Stephen Colbert_](https://time.com/7303604/stephen-colbert-cancellation-late-night-comedy/), which was announced in July, and urged for other late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers to meet a similar fate. Kimmel’s show was reinstated after a few days—a decision strongly [criticized](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115256938634035559?%5F%5Fcf%5Fchl%5Ftk=qmzxyf0RPty0hO3GxjVV48nqxQ3QcwzUb9ZmrJ%5FaQ8o-1770035495-1.0.1.1-185njjnqk0IRZ.eyarZfw%5F6sm9ruu3C1NJ8HOAuHpKE) by Trump. The President also has a history of suing media outlets. In July, Paramount Global [agreed to pay $16 million](https://time.com/7299965/trump-paramount-60-minutes-lawsuit-settlement/) to settle a lawsuit Trump filed over the editing of a _60 Minutes_ interview with former presidential candidate and then-Vice President Kamala Harris. In his lawsuit, Trump sought damages after accusing CBS, the network that broadcasts _60 Minutes,_ of editing Harris’ answers to sway audiences in her favor. CBS denied the claims. In December, Trump filed [a defamation lawsuit](https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72040010/1/trump-v-british-broadcasting-corporation/) against the BBC, suing it for $5 billion over a _Panorama_ documentary that aired on Oct. 28\. 2024\. When addressing the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, the documentary included spliced footage of the President’s speeches, prompting concern that the output was misleading. The court filing described the edit as putting forth “a false, defamatory, deceptive, disparaging, inflammatory, and malicious depiction of President Trump.” The lawsuit also accused the BBC of attempting to “interfere in and influence” the 2024 presidential election. The BBC stated its intention to defend itself against the legal action. ## Transcript And then let's get those eyes. And. Chapel and chapel. Chapel and Sabrina. Right here. And then right down the center. Right next to him. And right here. And eyes right here. Right here. Once more. Once more. Right here. Everybody right here, please. Okay, please. Number one. Right up top, please. Up top. Right up here to your left. And together. Right here and straight ahead. Right here. One more time. Everybody. Right here. Yup. Carol Gaga, I'm looking right down here And once more. Thank you. Take looking back to your left and right in front of you, please. And right here. Aha! There you go. Turn it a little so you get the front right here. Perfect. And lady right here lady Kelsey. Got it. And then can you turn it. Get a little bit of the outfit right here so we can see the front of the beautiful. You look gorgeous Carol. Straight ahead of you. Right here. Right here. Please. Kesha. Looking back. Straight ahead, please. Right here, right here, right here, right here and right here. All the way left, buddy. How are you guys? Right here, please. Yeah. Thank you. Straight ahead of you guys here one more time. Right down the center. And looking back, number one. Hi. How are you guys doing? 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