President Donald Trump told Grammy Awards host Trevor Noah to expect a lawsuit over the comedian's "false and defamatory statement" claiming the president had visited disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein's island.
In a Truth Social post issued early Monday, Trump slammed the Grammy Awards broadcast as "virtually unwatchable" and accused Noah of spreading a provably false smear during the CBS telecast.
Trump categorically denied ever visiting Epstein's private Caribbean island and said Noah's joke crossed the line from political commentary into defamation.
"The Grammy Awards are the WORST, virtually unwatchable!" Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Noah said, INCORRECTLY about me, that Donald Trump and Bill Clinton spent time on Epstein Island. WRONG!!! ... I have never been to Epstein Island, nor anywhere close."
Trump went on to warn that legal action was imminent, saying he would be "sending my lawyers" to sue Noah "for plenty$," adding that the comedian "better get his facts straight, and get them straight fast."
The controversy stems from a joke Noah delivered late in the ceremony after Billie Eilish won song of the year.
Referencing Trump's past comments about the U.S. acquiring Greenland, Noah quipped that Trump wanted "a new island to hang out with Bill Clinton," implying a connection to Epstein's island.
Epstein, a convicted sex offender, died in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
While Democrats and some media outlets have long tried to tie Trump to Epstein, no evidence has shown Trump visited Epstein's island.
Trump has acknowledged knowing Epstein socially decades ago but has repeatedly stated he cut ties long before Epstein's crimes became public.
By contrast, former President Bill Clinton appears in flight logs and other records related to Epstein, though Clinton denies wrongdoing.
The New York Times reported that the Justice Department's Epstein files contain references to Trump but do not accuse him of criminal activity.
Even so, Trump noted in his Truth Social post that until Noah's remarks, "not even the Fake News Media" had accused him of being on Epstein's island.
Noah also used the Grammys stage to mock rapper Nicki Minaj for her recent support of Trump, joking that she was "still at the White House" discussing policy.
Minaj recently praised Trump during a visit to Washington, saying criticism from fans only strengthened her support for the president.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung used X to respond, calling Noah "a giant loser" and accusing him of relying on cheap political shots rather than facts.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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