Trump Threatens to Sue Trevor Noah Over Epstein Island Joke

The Grammys host joked about Trump and Clinton's ties to the late sex offender's private island.

Feb. 3, 2026 at 8:39am

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President Donald Trump has threatened to sue Grammys host Trevor Noah over his jokes about Trump spending time on Jeffrey Epstein's private island. Noah joked that Trump and former President Bill Clinton had visited the island, which Trump has denied. The comments came after the Department of Justice released more documents related to the Epstein sex trafficking investigation, which has been a controversy for the Trump administration.

Why it matters

The Epstein case and Trump's ties to the disgraced financier have been a major political issue, with calls for transparency around the investigations. Noah's joke touched on this sensitive topic, prompting a strong reaction from Trump who has denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein.

The details

In his Grammys monologue, Trevor Noah joked that "Epstein's island is gone, he needs a new one to hang out with Bill Clinton." This prompted an angry response from Trump, who called Noah a "total loser" and threatened to sue him. Trump has denied ever visiting Epstein's private island, though records show he flew on Epstein's plane multiple times in the 1990s. Clinton has also denied visiting the island, but has been named in Epstein-related files released by the Department of Justice.

  • On February 1, 2026, Trevor Noah hosted the Grammy Awards and made the joke about Trump and Clinton visiting Epstein's island.
  • In the early hours of February 2, 2026, Trump posted on Truth Social threatening to sue Noah over the joke.

The players

Trevor Noah

The host of the 2026 Grammy Awards and a frequent critic of former President Trump on his show "The Daily Show".

Donald Trump

The former President of the United States who has been named in documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation, though he has denied any wrongdoing.

Bill Clinton

The former President of the United States who has also been named in Epstein-related documents, though he has denied visiting Epstein's private island.

Jeffrey Epstein

The late financier and convicted sex offender who owned private islands in the U.S. Virgin Islands where he allegedly engaged in sexual abuse of young girls.

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What they’re saying

“The host, Trevor Noah, whoever he may be, is almost as bad as Jimmy Kimmel at the Low Ratings Academy Awards. Noah said, INCORRECTLY about me, that Donald Trump and Bill Clinton spent time on Epstein Island. WRONG!!!”

— Donald 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$.”

— Donald Trump

What’s next

It remains to be seen if Trump will follow through on his threat to sue Trevor Noah over the Grammys joke. The controversy highlights the ongoing political tensions around the Epstein case and Trump's ties to the late financier.

The takeaway

This incident underscores the highly charged political environment surrounding the Epstein scandal and the continued efforts to uncover the full truth about the powerful individuals involved. It also demonstrates the risks comedians and media figures face when making jokes about sensitive political topics.