In a surprising political move, rapper Nicki Minaj has used the platform of the United Nations to publicly align herself with Donald Trump, effectively declaring her support for his administration and broader Republican ideals.
Nicki Minaj is officially a Republican
In a speech at the US mission to the UN on Tuesday, she called her crackdown a moral challenge and spoke passionately about the persecution of Christians in Nigeria – a major talking point for the Trump camp.
Introduced by US Ambassador Mike Waltz, who praised her as more than a celebrity, but a “witness…to bring attention to Nigeria’s persecuted church”, Minaj delivered a powerful speech. She specifically thanked Trump: “I wanted to thank President Trump for prioritizing this issue … for calling for urgent action to defend Christians in Nigeria, to fight extremism and stop violence … simply because of the way they pray.”
Speaking as someone deeply grateful for the religious freedom she has enjoyed in the US, Minaj said: “I stood there as a proud New Yorker…we live in a country where we can worship God freely and safely, regardless of creed, background or politics…No group should ever be persecuted for practicing their religion.
She described her activism as not partisan but deeply personal, rooted in faith: “Protecting Christians in Nigeria is not about taking sides or dividing people. It’s about uniting humanity.”
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Her remarks coincided with her public social media responses to Trump, which have already sparked speculation about her political leanings. In recent weeks, she echoed Trump’s narrative on the Nigerian crisis, posting on X (formerly Twitter): “No group should ever be persecuted for practicing their religion… Thank you to the president and his team for taking this seriously.”
Conservative commentators were quick to interpret her remarks as a MAGA-style statement of agreement, with some calling her “the first major figure in Hollywood to publicly side with Trump in this capacity.”
In her UN remarks, she also addressed her fan base – known as the “Barbz” – to reinforce her conviction: “Barbz… this wasn’t about taking sides. This was about standing up in the face of injustice… which I’ve always stood for… and will stand for the rest of my life.”
This is also a Nicki Minaj rebrand
Political observers have pointed out that the moment could mark a full-blown rebranding for Minaj, who has long remained publicly ambivalent about her partisan allegiances. Now that she has sided with Trump in the high-profile UN environment, she appears to be embracing a role more aligned with the conservative Republican base.
However, her settlement was not without opposition. Critics warned that by repeating Trump’s framing of Nigerian violence as the primary threat to Christians, she risked oversimplifying deep-seated political, ethnic and security issues.
Others accused her of using the moment for political signaling rather than genuine humanitarian advocacy.
Nevertheless, Minaj defended her stance as one of impartial moral clarity, repeatedly stating that her intervention was about defending persecuted people, not supporting a political party. Her public gratitude to Trump and her insistence on uniting humanity in the face of religious violence made it clear that she has fully stepped into the role of both celebrity and activist — with a clear connection to the Republican base that supports Trump.
