Trevor Noah upset Donald Trump with his comments.Image: keystone/watson
analysis
The American president is once again threatening an entertainer with a lawsuit. He actually had better – more important – things to do.
02/03/2026, 04:5702/03/2026, 04:57
Renzo Ruf, Washington / ch media
Now the American President also wants to take Trevor Noah before the judge. “Get ready,” Donald Trump wrote to the comedian on Monday; his lawyers would soon show up and demand compensation.
The moderator’s alleged offense? Noah made a comment about his friendship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during the Grammy Gala in Los Angeles. He joked that Trump was so interested in Greenland because Epstein’s private island in the Caribbean was no longer available “to hang out with Bill Clinton.”
The moderator was also aggressive in other ways and made fun of Trump with numerous other punchlines.
Trump particularly didn’t find the Epstein joke funny for two reasons. Firstly, it is not true. Unlike other celebrities, he was never a guest on “Epstein’s Island,” as he noted on Truth Social.
And secondly, the American president was annoyed that he was once again mocked in a live broadcast by a more or less well-known entertainer – even though the American media is the target of a coordinated intimidation campaign. Last year, ABC was forced to send comedian Jimmy Kimmel into a time-out after he made inappropriate comments.
Trump’s real problem? His track record
So Noah’s joke is a good sign. Even on a channel like CBS – which is now part of the Ellison family’s media empire and wants to steer a Trump-friendly course – it is still possible to make fun of the president and his fantasies of omnipotence.
Trump, on the other hand, would be well advised to quickly forget his threat against Noah, which he made in the middle of the night. The president has completely different problems than a comedian who makes more or less funny jokes. His approval ratings are in the basement, and the dispute over his tough migration policy has now led to part of the federal government being forced to close again.
That’s actually proof enough that it’s not the media that’s the biggest problem Trump faces – but his track record. (aargauerzeitung.ch)