Trevor Noah’s Grammys Joke Puts Him in the Crosshairs, and It’s Not the First Time the President Has Threatened a Comedian
Trevor Noah’s crack about Donald Trump at the 2026 Grammy Awards has landed him on the president’s list of enemies.
What did Trevor Noah say about Donald Trump at the Grammys?
Noah took aim at Trump during the February 1 event. After Billie Eilish accepted the award for song of the year, the former host of The Daily Show took the opportunity to joke about the president’s association with the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as well as his obsession with claiming Greenland for the U.S.
“Wow. That is a Grammy that every artist wants,” Noah said, “almost as much as Trump wants Greenland. Which makes sense. I mean, because Epstein’s island is gone, he needs a new island to hang out with Bill Clinton.”
Trump – who has admitted he knew Epstein but has denied visiting his infamous island – swiftly reacted to the jab with a post on Truth Social.
“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,” read the post.
Trump went on to threaten Noah with a lawsuit.
“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$,” he wrote.
Trump has also threatened Bill Maher and Rosie O’Donnell
The notoriously litigious Trump has a history of either suing or threatening to sue comedians and other media figures who have made comments to which he takes offense.
In 2013, the future president sued Bill Maher after the comedian and HBO talk show host said he would make a $5 million donation to a charity of Trump’s choice if he produced a birth certificate proving that his mother had not mated with an orangutan. Trump produced the birth certificate and demanded Maher make the donation, claiming the $5 million offer was legally binding.
“I didn’t think he was joking,” Trump said. He later withdrew his lawsuit, per Reuters.
In September 2025, Trump hinted he wanted to take legal action against ABC after Jimmy Kimmel returned to host his late-night show following a brief suspension.
“[Kimmel] puts the Network in jeopardy by playing 99% positive Democrat GARBAGE. He is yet another arm of the DNC and, to the best of my knowledge, that would be a major Illegal Campaign Contribution,” he wrote on Truth Social (via CNN). “I think we’re going to test ABC out on this. Let’s see how we do.”
Trump also has a long-running feud with actor and comedian Rosie O’Donnell. The conflict dates back to 2006, when O’Donnell, who was then hosting The View, mocked Trump’s voice and comb-over hairstyle while criticizing his actions as the owner of the Miss Universe pageant.
“I’ll most likely sue her for making those false statements — and it’ll be fun,” Trump said in response (via Australian Broadcasting Corporation). No lawsuit was ever filed.
While the president often suggests he might take legal action against people who speak critically of him, he rarely follows through. Instead, the threats serve as a rallying cry for his loyal supporters or as a check on other critics, who might hesitate to speak out rather than run the risk of incurring his wrath.
