Nicki Minaj has tripled down on her MAGA turn.
The rap superstar’s embrace of the right-wing movement and its key figures rose to a new level this weekend as she appeared at one of the biggest conservative events of the year, giving some of her most direct praise yet for the president, vice president and their movement.
Praising Trump and Vance, making an awkward ‘assassin’ comment
The “Super Freaky Girl” appeared Sunday at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest, an annual multi-day conference drawing some of the most prominent politicians and public figures in the conservative movement. Erika Kirk, the widow of slain Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, who has assumed a public-facing leadership role in the organization after her husband’s killing, welcomed Minaj onstage. As she’s done before, Minaj took shots at Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom, telling young men in the audience, “Don’t be Newscum.” Minaj and Newsom have clashed online in recent weeks over the governor’s support for trans rights, with Minaj also possibly taking issue with a video Newsom posted highlighting President Donald Trump’s connections to Jeffrey Epstein; the video clip contained a snippet of the Megan Thee Stallion song “Hiss” that disses Minaj. After mocking Newsom at AmericaFest, Minaj also yet again praised “our handsome, dashing president” and “the assassin JD Vance, our vice president.” The latter turn of phrase created an awkward moment between Minaj and Kirk, given the recent slaying of her husband. Kirk brushed off the faux pas, assuring Minaj, “There’s nothing new under the sun that I have not heard, so you’re fine.”
Dismissing backlash and claiming persecution of Christians and white people in the U.S.
Minaj repeatedly praised Trump and Vance during her appearance and claimed she “didn’t notice” the backlash she’s received over her support for the Trump administration.
“We don’t even think about that,” Minaj said. “We’re the cool kids.” She also urged her detractors to “stay mad.”
Returning to her support for Trump’s misleading claims about Christian persecution in Nigeria, the topic that initially brought Minaj to the attention of top Trump administration officials, Minaj claimed, “Christians have been persecuted right here in our country in different ways,” and “prior administrations saw nothing wrong with that, and that’s what was wrong with them.”
Claiming there were “people out there who felt good about chastising Christians right here in our country,” Minaj said, “We can’t let people like that be in power, you guys. That’s the truth.”
Discussing representation in the media, Minaj complained, “It’s not just making young Black children feel proud of themselves, but it’s almost like doing that and at the same time telling other children not to be proud of themselves, and I don’t want any child feeling that way.”
Minaj was later more specific and said, “I don’t need someone with blond hair and blue eyes to downplay their beauty because I know my beauty,” feeding into Republican talking points about the persecution of white people in society.
Speculation about Minaj’s motives and how long her MAGA embrace will last
Minaj’s full embrace of MAGA left many puzzled and wondering about her motives.
“She’s clearly doing this for a pardon for her husband or brother,” an X, formerly Twitter, user posted, “but it’s weird that she decided to go this route rather than just pay Trump for the pardon like everyone else did.”
“I think she thinks he can stop her from losing her house in that lawsuit,” podcast host Ashley Ray speculated, referencing reports that Minaj may be forced to sell her mansion to pay a judgment obtained against her by a former bodyguard.
Meanwhile, music journalist Sowmya Krishnamurthy noted, “The funny part about MAGA… they’re great at using rappers and discarding them when they’re no longer needed. It happened to Kanye with Trump,” and predicted, “Once they realize that Nicki Minaj isn’t going to increase Turning Point paid subscribers, she’s out too.”
For now, Minaj seems to enjoy the attention she has received from her right-wing turn. After doubling down on her new brand of conservative political advocacy at one of the country’s largest right-wing events, Minaj appears to have embraced pro-MAGA politics as a significant part of her public persona.