The Grammy hangover: from Bad Bunny's 'we are not savages, ICE out' to Trump's possible lawsuit

The most important music awards of 2026 will be remembered more as a series of political pleadings than for the actual musical milestones experienced during the gala. The highlights of Grammy night were defined more by Bad Bunny stating "We're not savages, ICE out," than by the historic fact that he became the first Latin artist to win Album of the Year with a Spanish-language album.

The final touch came with the absent protagonist of the gala: Donald Trump, not exactly named with affection during the evening, announced that he is considering legal action against the presenter of the event, Trevor Noah, after he pointed out that the president had visited Epstein Island.

The comedian noted, during the presentation of the award for best song to Billie Eilish: "Song of the year: that's a Grammy that every artist wants almost as much as Trump wants Greenland, which makes sense because Epstein's Island no longer exists and he needs a new one to hang out with Bill Clinton."

"Get ready, Noah, I'm going to have fun with you!"

Something that didn't exactly endear the president, who responded with a stern Truth Social post warning the host of the "practically unwatchable!" gala that he'd be seeing his lawyers. "Brace yourself, Noah, I'm going to have some fun with you!"

"The host, Trevor Noah, whoever he is, is almost as bad as Jimmy Kimmel on the low-rated Oscar Awards. Noah said, INCORRECTLY about me, that Donald Trump and Bill Clinton spent time on Epstein's Island. FALSE!!!! I can't speak for Bill, but I have never been to Epstein's Island, or anywhere near it, and until tonight's false and defamatory statement, I had never been accused of being there, not even by the fake news media. Noah, a total loser, you better get your facts straight, and do it fast. Looks like I'm going to send my lawyers to sue this poor, pathetic, talentless presenter, and I'm going to sue him for a lot of money."

"We're not savages, ICE out": Bad Bunny won the anti-ICE shout-out of the night award

The gala was clearly marked by the political slant that artists and celebrities in attendance wanted to give the gala, especially with messages against ICE and Donald Trump. Among all of them, the highlight was Bad Bunny's shout-out as he picked up his historic award that provoked a flurry of applause:

"Before I thank God, I'm going to say, 'ICE out.' We're not savages, we're not animals, we're not aliens, we're human beings and we're Americans."

The Puerto Rican artist also urged his fans and fellow artists to confront fear and division with love and compassion.

Gloria Estefan: "I'm scared, I don't recognize my country right now"

He wasn't the only one. Among the Valentino, Chanel and Saint Laurent outfits seen on the red carpet, many of the attendees added an "ICE Out" pin to their attire. Among them were power couple Justin and Hailey Beiber, veteran singer Joni Mitchell, American singerJordan Tyson and actress and singer Helen J. Shen.

Gloria Stefan, who picked up the award for best tropical Latin album told AFP that "I'm scared, I'm very worried. What is happening is not that they are arresting criminals. These are people who have families, who have contributed to this country for decades, young children. There are hundreds of children in detention centers. It's inhumane. I don't recognize my country at this time."

Billie Eilish: "No one is illegal in a stolen land"

Billie Eilish, whose exchange with Trevor Noah drew Trump's ire, also preferred to talk about ICE rather than music. The Grammy winner for song of the year with "Wildflower" assured that "I need to say something else, that no one is illegal in a stolen land. It's really hard to know what to say and what to do right now. I feel very hopeful in this room, and I feel like we need to keep fighting and talking and protesting, and our voices really matter."