Nicki Minaj is drawing attention after a series of posts about President Donald Trump and interacting with others in his administration. It all began after she publicly thanked Trump for addressing alleged Christian persecution in Nigeria. The reaction has ignited speculation among fans and critics that the rapper may be aligning with Trump politically.
In a Truth Social post at the end of October, Trump said Christianity faces an “existential threat” in Nigeria. The country’s population is majority Muslim, and figures like Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, have claimed that “since 2009, over 50,000 Christians in Nigeria have been massacred, and over 18,000 churches and 2,000 Christian schools have been destroyed.”
However, news reports point out that radical Islamists have also killed Muslims in Nigeria.
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Minaj shared a screenshot of Trump’s post on X, writing, “Thank you to the President and his team for taking this seriously. God bless every persecuted Christian.”
The exchange prompted United Nations Ambassador Mike Waltz to thank Minaj and invite her to the U.S. Embassy to the U.N. in New York.
“I’d be honored,” she wrote. “Thank you, Ambassador.”
Fans who remembered Minaj’s past endorsements for Democratic candidates were surprised, and many questioned whether the posts signaled a genuine political pivot.
A complicated political history
Minaj’s track record shows a long, unpredictable relationship with politics.
In 2012, she sparked debate when she rapped, “I’m a Republican voting for Mitt Romney.” When former President Barack Obama was later asked about the lyric on a radio show, he said Minaj “likes to play different characters,” suggesting it may not have reflected her real views.
She later posted, in a now-deleted tweet, “HA. Thank you for understanding my creative humor and sarcasm Mr. President. The smart ones always do,” and expressed her support for Obama.
In 2016, she shared that she met with Obama to discuss issues important to her, describing herself as part of his My Brother’s Keeper initiative.
By 2018, Minaj endorsed several New York Democrats, including Andrew Cuomo, Kathy Hochul and Letitia James. “See you at the polls,” she told fans.
Although she often speaks about political issues, Minaj cannot vote. Born in Trinidad and Tobago, she confirmed last year on a live stream that she is not a U.S. citizen. She has argued that she deserves citizenship because of the millions she has paid in U.S. taxes over the years.
Criticism emerges over recent posts
Minaj reposted a recent TikTok video from the official White House account that used one of her songs while praising Trump’s 2025 initiatives, including “no men in women’s sports,” “closed borders” and “deportations.” The repost fueled even more speculation about her political leanings.
Some critics on social media suggested, without evidence, that Minaj may be aligning with Trump to avoid possible immigration consequences or to secure legal favor for her husband, Kenneth Petty. He has a criminal record that includes an attempted rape conviction and a conviction for failing to register as a sex offender.
Minaj was recently dropped from a related civil lawsuit after Petty’s assault victim accused the rapper of harassment.
Another wave of backlash came from LGBTQ+ fans who saw the Trump-aligned repost as a contradiction of Minaj’s previous advocacy. In 2019, she canceled a performance in Saudi Arabia in protest of the country’s human rights record.
In a statement to the Associated Press, she wrote, “After better educating myself on the issues, I believe it is important for me to make clear my support for the rights of women, the LGBTQ+ community and freedom of expression.”
Other artists have shifted their politics, too
Minaj is not the only major musician whose political messaging has evolved over time.
In 2005, Kanye West made headlines during a Hurricane Katrina telethon when he declared, “George Bush doesn’t care about Black people.” A decade later, he donated to several Democratic causes, including $1,000 to Barack Obama in 2012, $15,000 to the Democratic National Committee in 2014 and $2,700 to Hillary Clinton in 2015, according to Federal Election Commission documents.
But his tone changed abruptly in 2016. “If I would have voted, I would have voted on Trump,” he told a crowd that November. “That don’t mean that I don’t think that Black lives matter. That don’t mean I don’t believe in women’s rights. I wanted to say that before the election, but they told me, ‘Whatever you do, don’t say that out loud.’
“Not only did I not vote, but there were a lot of things I actually liked about Trump’s campaign. His approach was f—ing genius — because it worked.”
West later met with Trump at Trump Tower and began appearing in MAGA hats, symbolizing one of the most dramatic political pivots in modern pop culture.
While Minaj and West have drawn attention for posts interpreted as Trump-friendly, other high-profile figures have moved in the opposite direction.
What celebrities have reversed course on Trump?
Caitlyn Jenner endorsed Trump in 2016 but wrote a 2018 Washington Post op-ed announcing that she no longer supported him. She explained that she initially believed she could work with his administration to advance LGBTQ rights, but said the administration’s actions proved her wrong.
“Believing that I could work with Trump and his administration to support our community was a mistake,” Jenner wrote. She criticized the administration’s policies, citing the ban on transgender service members and the rollback of protections for transgender students.
“It’s clear these policies have come directly from Trump,” she continued. “My hope in him — in them — was misplaced, and I cannot support anyone who is working against our community. I do not support Trump.”
Roseanne Barr, who identifies as a conservative, recently spoke out against Trump over the release of the government files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“Mr. President — yes, we still care about Epstein,” she wrote. “Is there a time to not care about child sex trafficking? Read the damn room.”
As for Minaj, the debate around her political identity is still unfolding. She confirmed on X that she will be speaking at an event hosted by Waltz, the U.N. ambassador, on the persecution of Christians in Nigeria. The appearance will likely generate more discussion about her evolving role in political conversations and what her alignment means for her fans.
