President Donald Trump calls Nicki Minaj 'a terrific person'
President Trump called Nicki Minaj "a winner" while at the world premiere of "Melania."
Nicki Minaj says she’s done hiding her MAGA support — and she’s blaming California Gov. Gavin Newsom and rap titan Jay-Z for pushing her straight into President Donald Trump’s corner.
The "Anaconda" rapper revealed in an interview with Time that feeling ignored by Democratic power players while receiving support from Republicans played a major role in her political transformation.
Minaj, 43, said one of the biggest turning points came after her California home was repeatedly "swatted" by online trolls. According to the rapper, her attempts to seek help from Newsom’s office went nowhere.
"He just completely ignored me, with all the money I spent in taxes," Minaj said.
NICKI MINAJ ACCUSES CALIFORNIA GOV. NEWSOM OF 'TRYING TO BE TRUMP' IN SCATHING INTERVIEW
Nicki Minaj says years of frustration with Democrats and her feud with rap mogul Jay-Z ultimately pushed her toward President Trump and the GOP. (Taylor Hill/WireImage)
The Grammy-nominated artist explained that her outlook began to change after Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida stepped in to assist her in 2025.
"I was shocked," Minaj said of the help she received from Luna. "I'd never seen anyone in politics treat me that way."
Luna reportedly connected Minaj with federal law enforcement officials and a private security firm following the incidents.
Minaj said the support she received from Republicans ultimately convinced her to stop hiding her politics and go public with her admiration for President Donald Trump and the MAGA movement.
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Nicki Minaj felt she was ignored by Democrats, including Gavin Newsom. (Fred Greaves/Reuters; Mario Anzuoni/Reuters)
"That’s what made me say that I don’t care to keep this a secret anymore," she said.
For years, the rap superstar admitted she kept her pro-Trump views behind closed doors, fearing backlash from fans and powerful figures in the entertainment industry.
"I felt that way already about him, just that I didn’t dare act like that publicly," Minaj explained. "It’s been ingrained in everyone’s brain in the music business that we are supposed to be a Democratic family. I just knew they would not like me supporting Trump."
Minaj also reignited her yearslong feud with Jay-Z, accusing the hip-hop mogul and his company, Roc Nation, of exerting influence behind the scenes and attempting to derail her career.
She suggested Jay-Z’s deep ties to Democratic circles — particularly his relationship with former President Barack Obama — further soured her on the party establishment.
Nicki Minaj blasted Jay-Z for costing Obama during his political campaign. (Monica Schipper/WireImage)
"I think Jay-Z ended up costing Obama a lot, whether he knows it or not," she said. "Lots of rappers don’t like Jay-Z and were afraid to say it."
The "Super Bass" rapper also took aim at Obama’s 2024 campaign trail remarks urging Black men to rally behind then-Vice President Kamala Harris, saying many voters felt talked down to rather than understood.
"I just saw so many videos of Black men saying that they didn’t like the way they felt about that speech that Obama gave," Minaj said. "They felt like they weren’t being listened to."
Fox News Digital has reached out to Minaj, Newsom and Jay-Z for comment.
As Minaj’s political transformation became more public, Trump embraced the rapper as one of his most outspoken celebrity supporters.
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While attending the February premiere of "Melania," the president praised Minaj during an interview with Fox News Digital.
"Nicki Minaj is fantastic. She’s a terrific person," Trump said. "She was so nice, and she understands, you know, what we’re doing with the Trump accounts. We’re helping children grow up where they’re 18 years old. They’re going to have a lot of money. They’re gonna be rich. And she got it. She’s been a supporter from the beginning. And I think Nicki Minaj is a winner. Fantastic."
President Donald Trump and musician Nicki Minaj hold hands onstage at the Treasury Department's Trump Accounts Summit in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 28, 2026. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
The pair previously appeared together at the U.S. Treasury Department’s Trump Accounts Summit, where Minaj enthusiastically declared herself Trump’s "number one fan."
"Well, I don’t know what to say, but I will say that I am probably the president’s number one fan," she told attendees. "And that’s not going to change. And the hate or what people have to say, it does not affect me at all. It actually motivates me to support him more."
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Minaj first publicly aligned herself with Trump in November 2025 after the president spoke out about violence targeting Christians in Nigeria on Truth Social.
After Trump vowed the United States was prepared to protect persecuted Christians in the region, Minaj publicly thanked him, writing: "Thank you to The President & his team for taking this seriously."
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