The Grammys take on a political tone as artists speak out against ICE
Several performers, including Super Bowl headliner Bad Bunny, shared emotional statements about immigration and current political tensions at the Grammys.
- Donald Trump has threatened to sue Grammy Awards host Trevor Noah for making a joke about visiting Jeffrey Epstein’s island.
- Noah’s joke suggested that Trump needs a new island to visit with Bill Clinton now that Epstein is gone.
- Trump denied ever visiting Epstein’s island, but records show he flew on Epstein’s plane multiple times.
President Donald Trump has threatened to sue Grammy Awards host and comedian Trevor Noah over a joke he made at the Feb. 1 ceremony.
Noah joked about Trump spending time with former President Bill Clinton on late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s island. The comments came days after the Justice Department released another 3 million pages of records related to the sex trafficking investigation into the late financier. The push for transparency regarding documents has been a controversy that has dogged the Trump administration for months.
“Host Trevor Noah, whoever he is, is almost as bad as Jimmy Kimmel at the low-rating Academy Awards ceremony. Noah falsely said about me that Donald Trump and Bill Clinton spent time on Epstein’s island. Wrong!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social in the early morning hours of February 2nd.
“Noah, you’re a complete loser, you better get your facts straight and get it straight ASAP. You’re going to have to send a lawyer to sue this pathetic, pathetic, talentless, stupid MC and sue him for a lot of money,” the post continued.
Noah’s management did not respond to requests for comment.
What did Trevor Noah say about Trump?
The 2026 Grammy Awards ceremony will be hosted by Trump, who spent seven years hosting the show and was a frequent critic of Trump during his first term. Noah has hosted the past six Grammy Awards shows, but said the 2026 show will be his last.
“I believe in term limits. I wanted to set an example for the people watching the show. I want you to go home when your time is up,” he said, openly attacking President Trump, who has repeatedly threatened a third term despite the Constitution’s two-term limit.
Noah also criticized the prominent rapper, who recently expressed strong support for Trump by attending a White House event regarding the Trump account and appearing at the Trump Kennedy Center for the premiere of First Lady Melania Trump’s documentary.
“Nicki Minaj isn’t here,” Noah said, to cheers from the crowd. “She’s still in the White House discussing very important issues with Donald Trump.”
Noah went on to give the impression that President Trump told Minaj that his butt was bigger than hers.
However, it was Noah’s comments after winning the song of the year award that seemed to anger President Trump.
“Every artist wants a Grammy as much as President Trump wants Greenland. That makes sense. So Epstein’s island is gone, so we need a new one to play with Bill Clinton.”
Billie Eilish’s “Wildflower” won the song of the year award, and in her acceptance speech she defended immigrants by saying, “No one is an illegal alien on stolen land.”
Has Trump been to Epstein’s island?
Trump has denied ever visiting Epstein’s private island, but records show he flew on Epstein’s plane eight times in the 1990s. The flights recorded were primarily between Palm Beach, Florida, and Teterboro, New Jersey, but there was also a trip to Washington, DC.
A trove of documents, images and videos related to Epstein’s criminal investigation have been released after Congress passed the Epstein File Transparency Act, forcing the Justice Department to release the files. Trump’s name appears in many of the files released by the Justice Department, but he has denied wrongdoing and has not been charged with any crime related to Epstein.
President Trump answered questions on July 28 amid growing calls for the files to be released.
“I never had the opportunity to go to his island, and I turned him down, but a lot of people in Palm Beach were invited to his island,” Trump said. “It was one of those great moments where I said no. I didn’t want to go to his island.”
Did Bill Clinton go to Epstein’s private island?
Clinton also denies visiting Epstein’s island, but his name and photo are repeatedly mentioned in the released files. But Trump has long criticized Clinton and accused her of being on the island. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles also told Vanity Fair in December that there was no evidence such a visit took place.
Virginia Giuffre, the late Epstein defendant, said she saw Clinton there but never saw him do anything illegal. In a January 2015 email to author Michael Wolff, in which Mr. Epstein denied Mr. Clinton visited the island, he said another person (whose name has been redacted) had falsely claimed to have seen Mr. Clinton on the island.
“The[redacted]narrator has completely made up most of it,” he wrote, arguing that it overrules other claims.
“These emails prove that Bill Clinton did nothing and knew nothing,” Clinton press secretary Angel Ureña previously told USA TODAY in a statement. “The rest is noise intended to distract from things like election losses and government shutdowns that backfired. Who knows what else is out there.”
What happened on Epstein’s island?
Epstein owned two islands in the US Virgin Islands. He bought Little St. James in 1998 and Great St. James in 2016, according to court records.
In January 2020, prosecutors in the U.S. Virgin Islands filed a lawsuit against Epstein’s estate, alleging that a criminal enterprise involving the sexual abuse of young girls was carried out on his property.
“Epstein owned and arranged private planes, helicopters, boats, and automobiles to transport his victims to, from, and within the Virgin Islands, and provided funds to pay for these young women and underage girls,” the complaint states.
The complaint states one of the 15-year-old girls tried to swim away. The foundation settled a lawsuit with the U.S. Virgin Islands for $105 million in December 2022.
An investment firm led by investor Steven Deckoff acquired the islands in May 2023.
Contributors: Joedy McCreary, Joey Garrison, USA TODAY
Kinsey Crowley is a Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Please contact KCrowley@usatodayco.com. follow her X (Twitter), blue sky and TikTok.
