Female rapper Nicki Minaj on Sunday made a surprise appearance at a gathering of conservatives in Arizona that was memorializing late activist Charlie Kirk, and used her time on stage to praise President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, calling them “role models” for young men.
The rap star was interviewed at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest convention by Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, about her newly found support for Trump — someone she had condemned in the past — and about her actions denouncing violence against Christians in Nigeria.
Minaj mocked California Gov. Gavin Newsom, referring to him as New-scum, a nickname Trump gave him, and expressed admiration for the Republican president and Vance, who received the endorsement from Erika Kirk. She took over as leader of the powerful conservative youth organization. Newsom, a Democrat, has 2028 prospects.
“This administration is full of people with heart and soul, and they make me proud of them. Our vice president, he makes me ... well, I love both of them,” Minaj said. “Both of them have a very uncanny ability to be someone that you relate to.”
Minaj said she was tired of being “pushed around,” and she said that speaking your mind with different ideas is controversial because “people are no longer using their minds.” Kirk thanked Minaj for being “courageous,” despite the backlash she is receiving from the entertainment industry for expressing support for Trump.
“I didn’t notice,” Minaj said. “We don’t even think about them.” Kirk then said “we don’t have time to. We’re too busy building, right?”
“We’re the cool kids,” Minaj said.
The Trinidadian-born rapper is best known for her hits “Super Freaky Girl,” “Anaconda” and “Starships.” She has been nominated for 12 Grammy awards over the course of her career.
In 2018, Minaj was one of several celebrities condemning Trump’s zero-tolerance immigration policy that split more than 5,000 children from their families at the Mexico border. Back then, she shared her own story of arriving to the country at 5 years old, describing herself as an “illegal immigrant.”
“This is so scary to me. Please stop this. Can you try to imagine the terror & panic these kids feel right now?” she posted then on Instagram.
On Sunday on stage with Erika Kirk, Minaj said, “it’s OK to change your mind.”
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19 Comments
Jay
Not surprising at all, actually, she's just the latest in a long line of people who've grown up, seen through the ridiculous facade of left-wing "progressivism," and walked away from the woke circus. She, like the majority of people, now sees the bigger picture: the left/"progressive" side's endless virtue-signaling, censorship, and hysterical grandstanding don’t hold up against practical responsibility and accountability.
And her speaking out against Christian persecution in Nigeria - while the Left stays silent on real oppression because they tend to hate Christianity and Christians - shows she's done with the selective outrage. Good for her for having the guts to evolve and call it like it is.
u_s__reamer
Minaj is just one of the reasons the cult of Trump was spawned in the swamp of "Know-Nothing" Amerika. Except for selling tickets, she, too, knows not whereof she speaks. But it's now too late to jump on the wobbly Maga bandwagon with its wheels falling off on the rocky road to Epstein hell. Vote for a felon and you'll get a crime show (democracy 101).
Bob Fosse
Politicizing Christianity. Jesus doesn’t like that.
browny1
What then do you think of the 1,000s of people who have moved in the other direction. Many staunch conservatives in prominent positions together with "ordinary" maga types who have walked away from the Trump Inc circus?
It appears the consistent link in her attachment to the right evangelical nationalists is simply her own religious leaning and beliefs. You know - a bad Christian is better than a good non-Christian.
Although many Christians have also spoken against what they see as acts against human decency and civility by the autocratic regime of Trump.
Those people usually say they follow Christ's teachings and not modern Christo-Dogma.
wallace
I had a Jesuit friend in New York, Father Cassidey, who was very left-wing. Jesus would have been a socialist by all accounts.
Read about the plight of Nigerian Christians in the left-leaning Guardian Newspaper.
I don't know how many left-wing Christians there are, but they'll be in the tens or hundreds of millions.
bass4funk
Won two elections, knowledge is power.
In other words, liberals are angry because more Blacks, and sensible liberals are waking up to the Democrat tale
R B Quinn
Nicki Minaj appears to have contracted trumpitis with all the dangerous side effects.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Won only one popular vote and MAGA is going to lose its power extremely rapidly because they have no knowledge.
Not according to the prediction markets. Also:
https://wbznewsradio.iheart.com/content/2025-07-10-trumps-approval-rating-sees-drastic-shift-among-demographic/
Bob Fosse
That’s not going to explain the midterms next year.
Jay
Uh you know the so-called "exodus" from the Trump camp doesn't mean people have gone to the left, right? That will never happen in any meaningful way, because people have already seen the scam of "progressive" nonsense and there's no unseeing it.
What you're really seeing is a realignment: a shift between the America First camp (true nationalists putting U.S. borders, workers, and sovereignty above all) and the Israel First camp (those "old school" conservatives like the AIPAC-funded hawks, and establishment GOP types who prioritize endless foreign wars, Israeli lobbies, and globalist entanglements over fixing America).
But despite that massive split fracturing conservatives into these factions, they're undoubtedly still far stronger than the Left overall. United or divided, they own the momentum.
commanteer
The Democrats and their hysterical extremism have put themselves firmly in the cringe camp. They completely out of touch with today's zeitgeist. Or, as Boomers would say, they are hopelessly uncool.
Cephus
Another smart lady have seen the light and left the plantation. Pick your own cotton Newsome!
Bob Fosse
When a celebrity criticizes maga ”I wish these singers and entertainers would stay out of politics. Just sing, nobody cares”
When it’s the opposite “she’s seen the light, what a smart lady, its a trend”
Clowns.
bass4funk
After next year with all the tax cuts coming, doubt it.
Radio and online polling? That worked out so well for the Dems last time
XX XY Sports
I bet she surprised "progressives" a lot more.
According to them, she's not supposed to be a conservative.
To them, all "people of color" are supposed to stay on the "progressive plantation."
Remember in 2020 when Biden told a black guy who was interviewing him, "if you have a problem figuring out whether you're for me or Trump, then you ain't black"?
Few things (if anything) trigger and anger "progressives" more than a "person of color" who doesn't toe their ideological line.
nishikat
Wish they would do that for healthcare. Trumpcare is bankrupting millions of Americans every day.
MilesTeg
Everybody's elated about it. Nobody's sad.
nishikat
Remember in 2020 when Biden told a black guy who was interviewing
Yes and now this black guy and millions of other Americans) are going bankrupt under Trump
nishikat
Exactly! Go Maga