Trump threatens lawsuit over Epstein joke at Grammys

🧹Plus: House digs out of another shutdown

12:30 REPORT 12:30 REPORT Monday, February 2 | By Cate Martel Today in DC: ☀️ 30°  View Online  |  Sign up It's Monday. Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning, forecasting another six weeks of winter! I watched the livestream this morning and I was reminded of just how … unique, yet wholesome, that ceremony is. In today's issue: President threatens to sue Grammys host Johnson digs out of another shutdown Trump seeks to build 250-foot (!) DC arch Juicy profile on Nancy Mace MTG says MAGA was a 'lie' NASA nears first moon mission in 50+ years 🏆 IN THE WHITE HOUSE Trump fumes over the Grammys: AP President Trump is threatening to sue this year's Grammys host, Trevor Noah, over a joke he made about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during his performance on Sunday night. Noah's Epstein joke: "Congratulations, Billie Eilish. Wow, that's a Grammy that every artist wants — almost as much as Trump wants Greenland. Which makes sense because, since Epstein's gone, he needs a new island to hang out with Bill Clinton. I told you it's my last year [hosting]! What are you going to do about it?" The president responded by saying he never went to Epstein's island, calling the statement "false and defamatory." 🔎 Read Trump's full post Keep in mind: Despite Trump being named more than 3,000 times in the files tied to Epstein, he denies any wrongdoing in connection with him. Trump also ranted about the Grammys being "the WORST" and "virtually unwatchable" in a Truth Social post after midnight last night. The big theme of the Grammys — 'ICE out': Several celebrities spoke against ICE's controversial tactics and some celebrities wore pins to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Like, Eilish: "As grateful as I feel, I honestly don't feel like I need to say anything but that no one is illegal on stolen land. It's just really hard to know what to say and what to do right now," the singer said, adding "f--- ICE." And Bad Bunny: "Before I say thanks to God, I'm going to say: ICE out. We're not savages. We're not animals. We're not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans." ^ Keep in mind that Bad Bunny is playing the Super Bowl halftime show this weekend. Tidbit — Noah made a joke about Nicki Minaj and Trump: Noah quipped, "Nicki Minaj is not here. She is still at the White House with Donald Trump discussing very important issues. Actually Nicki, I have the biggest ass. I have it," Noah joked, mimicking Trump. "'I know they say it's you, but it's me,'" Noah said, mocking Trump. 💬 Follow today's live blog ➤ THE ARC DE TRUMP: The Washington Post reports that Trump wants to build a 250-foot-tall arch for the U.S.'s 250th anniversary. It would go between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. Why this is newsy: This is much bigger than was expected. In fact, some architectural experts think it will distort the size of surrounding memorials. The White House's response: White House communications director Steven Cheung didn't dispute the report. He reposted the article, adding, "The 'experts' who think it's 'too big' are used to living with things being small. 🤏" ➤ TRUMP IS CLOSING THE KENNEDY CENTER FOR TWO YEARS: The president announced a two-year closure of the Kennedy Center for a "complete rebuilding." He said it will close starting July 4, the same day as the U.S.'s 250th anniversary. He did note this construction plan is subject to board approval, though he is chair of that board. The announcement comes after various artists have pulled out of performances and amid reports of plunging ticket sales following a series of changes by the president and his team, including pushing to add his name to the center named after former President Kennedy. Keep in mind: Members of the Kennedy family are very critical of Trump's decision to shut it down for two years. See what they're saying 🧊 ON CAPITOL HILL  Shutdowns are *always* harder to end than they are to start: The House returns to Washington today to deal with the partial government shutdown that began Friday at midnight. The hope was that funding would only lapse for the weekend until Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) could bring House lawmakers back from recess today. But it's never that simple, is it?: Johnson has a rocky path ahead. He insists he can get the package through the House Rules Committee today, but there could be some complications. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) wants to add on a bill that would require proof of citizenship in order to register to vote in federal elections. When could the shutdown end?: Tuesday at the very earliest. That's because Democrats refuse to fast-track it. Tidbit — Johnson's numbers are about to get narrower: When Democratic Rep.-elect Christian Menefee (Texas) gets sworn into the House, Johnson will only be able to lose one GOP vote, assuming all members are present and Democrats are opposed. And even if the shutdown ends tomorrow, it won't be peachy: This government funding package will only fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for two weeks. That means lawmakers will be on a very tight timeline to negotiate reforms for the Trump administration's immigration tactics. The Hill's Alexander Bolton reports that Republicans are divided about what reforms should be made. ➤ HOW WILL WE FEEL THE EFFECTS OF THIS SHUTDOWN?: More than 10,000 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) workers have been furloughed. And nearly 14,000 air traffic controllers are back to working without pay. This put a huge strain on air travel during the last shutdown. If this shutdown extends, we could feel similar effects. Getting traction — former aides talk about working for Rep. Nancy Mace: Journalist Jake Lahut published a profile on Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) in New York Magazine. The gist: "Former staffers say that Representative Nancy Mace's behavior has gotten more erratic in the past year — and that it's time for her [to] step away from politics." One of the claims from a former staffer: " 'Look, when I worked for her, our poor scheduler was getting calls at two o'clock in the morning to come bring her bottles of tequila,' a former staffer claimed of incidents they recalled going back to 2021." Former aides claimed she made them do housework: "They say she made her aides clean multiple properties she was renting out on Airbnb instead of paying for a maid." How Mace is responding: "These allegations are so ridiculous they don't even merit a response," Cameron Morabito, Mace's director of operations, told New York Magazine. "I hope she sues you for every dime you got paid to write this defamatory bulls---." The GOP lawmaker, who is running for governor of South Carolina, sought to preemptively rebut the story Sunday night, calling it a "hit piece." "I have enemies? Good. Get in line. That means I've stood for something," she posted. Read her whole post And read the full profile: 'Nancy Mace Is Not Okay': 'Something's broken. The motherboard's fried. We're short-circuiting somewhere.' 📰 OTHER NEWS ➤ QUICK HITS: — Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), a former MAGA darling, said on a radio appearance that Trump's MAGA slogan was a "lie," arguing it's actually all about big donors. — Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche says the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case review is "over." ➤ MORE READS: The Wall Street Journal: Classified Whistleblower Complaint About Tulsi Gabbard Stalls Within Her Agency Ezra Klein op-ed in The New York Times: Trump Has Overwhelmed Himself The Washington Post: Inside Musk's bet to hook users that turned Grok into a porn generator The Atlantic: Pete Hegseth Delights in Violence: His first year at the Pentagon has been marked by uncomplicated celebrations of death. COMING UP The House and Senate are in. President Trump is at the White House. (All times EST) 3:30 p.m. Trump participates in "Signing Time." 5:30 p.m. The Senate votes. 📆 Today's agenda 6:30 p.m. First and last votes. 📆 Today's agenda 🐝 INTERNET BUZZ 🥔 Celebrate: Today is National Tater Tot Day!   🚀 The next big NASA mission!: NASA is planning to launch a mission to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years. It's hoping to launch the Artemis 2 mission sometime between Sunday and April 6. Read more 👋 AND FINALLY… There's just something so special about watching art being made. This, in particular, is truly special to watch. 🥲  Stay Engaged  📺 Miss the last issue of 12:30 Report? Catch up with a 1-minute video. I love hearing from you — send your feedback, tips and favorite cookie recipes 🍪 to cmartel@thehill.com. Check out more newsletters here. See you next time! 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