President Donald Trump forcefully denied any involvement with Jeffrey Epstein, responding to a joke made by comedian Trevor Noah during Sunday night’s Grammy Awards ceremony. The remarks came amid fresh scrutiny following the Department of Justice’s recent release of more than 3 million pages of documents related to Epstein investigations.
Noah, hosting the 68th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, alluded to Trump’s past associations with Epstein while presenting an award. In his quip, Noah suggested that the Song of the Year Grammy was something every artist coveted “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.” The line drew laughs from the audience but quickly drew criticism from the president.
Trevor Noah takes another jab at Donald Trump #Grammys: “Song of the Year — 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” pic.twitter.com/quUWEpX4NL
— Deadline (@DEADLINE) February 2, 2026
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump dismissed Noah as a “lightweight” and a “terrible” host, comparing him unfavorably to Jimmy Kimmel. He described the Grammys broadcast as “not watchable” after watching only part of it. Turning to the substance of the joke, Trump said he had “nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein” and had never visited the financier’s private island.
Trump: [Trevor Noah] said I spent time on Jeffrey’s— Jeffrey Epstein's island. I didn't. He's a lightweight, this guy, I think he's terrible. pic.twitter.com/8gke7wrqiE
— Acyn (@Acyn) February 2, 2026
The president’s comments tied directly to the Justice Department’s January 30 release of over 3 million pages of materials under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which Trump signed into law in late 2025. The documents, including emails, videos, and other records from federal inquiries into Epstein, represent one of the largest disclosures to date in the long-running case involving the convicted sex offender who died in 2019.
Trump: I think the DOJ should say we have better things to do—other than Bill Clinton and Bill Gates and lots of people that have—there are a lot of questions about it. But nothing on me. pic.twitter.com/Up8NzL7xKI
— Acyn (@Acyn) February 2, 2026
Trump highlighted portions of the release that he said cleared him and instead pointed to efforts against him. He claimed the documents showed Epstein conspiring with writer Michael Wolff to harm him politically ahead of an election. “What actually came out—and it’s even better than that—is they found that Jeffrey Epstein and this writer, Michael Wolff, were conspiring against Donald Trump to try to get me to lose the election,” Trump said. “Epstein was conspiring with a writer to hurt me politically. So right there you know I had nothing to do with this guy.”
Not only wasn’t I friendly with Jeffrey Epstein but, based upon information that has just been released by the Department of Justice, Epstein and a SLEAZEBAG lying “author” named Michael Wolff, conspired in order to damage me and/or my Presidency. So much for the Radical Left’s…
— Commentary: Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) February 2, 2026
He added that the materials made clear he had no involvement, describing the ongoing focus on Epstein connections as a “terrible thing” driven by political motives. Trump noted that interest in Epstein had been minimal when he was alive years earlier but had intensified for partisan reasons. He suggested the revelations were backfiring on Democrats, pointing to former President Bill Clinton’s documented ties to Epstein. “The Democrats are pushing it, but the problem is it’s turning out to be the Democrats who were with Epstein,” Trump said. “So I think you’re going to see a pullback from them.”
Trump’s response to Noah marked a continuation of his defense amid renewed attention to the files. He framed the episode as wasteful distraction at a time when other priorities demand focus, concluding that attempts to link him negatively to Epstein had failed. “Think of it—they were working together to try to help me lose the election,” he said of the alleged Epstein-Wolff communications. “And this is the Oval Office, so I guess that didn’t work out too well.”
