US President Donald Trump has launched a fresh attack on the Grammy Awards and threatened legal action against the ceremony's host following jokes made at his expense during the broadcast.
In a post on his Social platforms early on Monday, Trump described the Grammys as "the WORST" and said the show was "virtually unwatchable".
"CBS is lucky not to have this garbage litter their airwaves any longer," he wrote, in an apparent reference to Disney taking over the broadcast rights for the awards ceremony from next year.
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The president's criticism appeared to be triggered by remarks made by the host, comedian Trevor Noah, who made several jokes about Trump during the show. One comment implied that Mr Trump had spent time on the private Caribbean island of the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Trump strongly denied the claim, calling it "false and defamatory".
"Noah said, INCORRECTLY about me, that Donald Trump and Bill Clinton spent time on Epstein Island. WRONG!!!" the president wrote.
"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."
Trump went on to warn the comedian to "get his facts straight, and get them straight fast", adding that he was considering legal action.
"It looks like I'll be sending my lawyers to sue this poor, pathetic, talentless, dope of an M.C.," he said, adding that he intended to sue for "plenty" of money. He also cited past financial settlements he has secured from major broadcasters, concluding: "Get ready Noah, I'm going to have some fun with you!"
During the ceremony, Noah made repeated jibes at the president. Before announcing the winner of Song of the Year, he said the prize was "almost as much as Trump wants Greenland", before adding that with "Epstein's island gone, he needs a new one to hang out with Bill Clinton".
Reacting to audible gasps from the audience, Noah joked: "Oh, I told you it's my last year! What are you going to do about it?"
Elsewhere in his monologue, Noah appeared to mock speculation about Trump seeking a third term in office. "This is my sixth and last year hosting the Grammys," he said. "I believe in term limits. I wanted to set an example for anyone who might be watching the show. Leave when your time is up."
While introducing performers, he also quipped that rapper Nicki Minaj was absent because she was "still at the White House with Donald Trump discussing very important issues".
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Trump has previously acknowledged knowing Jeffrey Epstein but has said the two fell out in the mid-2000s. His Mar-a-Lago resort has claimed Epstein was banned from the property in 2007. Last year, Trump said the ban followed a dispute involving staff.
He has also denied ever visiting Epstein's private island. "I never had the privilege of going to his island, and I did turn it down," Trump said last year. "In one of my very good moments, I turned it down."
The White House has not indicated whether legal action against Noah will formally proceed but the exchange has added to a growing pattern of public clashes between the president and figures in the entertainment industry.
