Nicki Minaj has voiced her support for Donald Trump, addressing the ‘bullying’ she believes he has faced after she publicly endorsed him at different events.
The singer expressed her backing of the president in December during an unexpected appearance at a Turning Point USA event in Phoenix, Arizona.
Minaj’s collaboration with Erika Kirk at the event was surprising to many fans, given her past criticisms of Trump’s immigration policies. In 2018, she expressed her concerns over these policies, calling them ‘so scary’ and mentioning her own experience as an ‘illegal immigrant’ on Facebook.
During her speech at the event, Minaj referred to Donald Trump and Vice-President JD Vance as ‘role models,’ sparking outrage among some fans. This reaction led to the creation of a ‘Deport Nicki Minaj to Trinidad’ petition, which gained significant attention.
In response to the controversy, the 43-year-old artist spoke out, reaffirming her support for President Trump.
During an appearance on The Katie Miller Podcast, Minaj explained her reasons for supporting Trump: “Religious freedom is something that’s very important to me. But if I’m being honest, President Trump, because when I saw how he was being treated over and over and over, I just couldn’t handle it.”
The ‘Bang Bang’ artist also addressed the backlash she has experienced since sharing her political opinions, highlighting what she perceives as the ‘bullying’ Trump has endured.
“I felt that same, you know, a lot of that bullying in this man’s campaign, and all of the lying,” Minaj remarked. “I felt that that had been done to me for so many years, and I was watching it in real time happen to someone else, and I didn’t think he deserved it. And it made me think, I can’t do this anymore.”
Minaj recently attended the Trump Accounts Summit, where she was invited on stage by the president.
At the event, the singer and Trump briefly held hands, and he gave her an awkward kiss on the forehead. Minaj proclaimed herself as the Republican president’s ‘number one fan’ as she received Trump’s ‘gold card’ visa.
The card is typically associated with residency and potential US citizenship, yet it was provided to Minaj as a ‘memento’ rather than legal documentation, according to an anonymous White House official speaking to The New York Times.
Acquiring one of these cards usually involves a $1,000,000 contribution and a $15,000 processing fee.