How Nicki Minaj became Trump’s ‘number one fan’

Rapper Nicki Minaj’s call Thursday for fans to pressure senators into passing Trump-backed voting legislation caps a political transformation that has left many asking: What happened?

The journey from condemning President Trump’s immigration policies to becoming his self-proclaimed “number one fan” unfolded across years of increasingly conservative signals, personal controversies and growing alignment with right-wing causes.

The Contradictory Early Years

Ms. Minaj’s politics never fit neatly into boxes. She rapped in 2012 about being “a Republican voting for Mitt Romney,” though the lyric’s intent remained unclear. By 2015, she told Billboard that Mr. Trump had made points that “may not have been so horrible if his approach wasn’t so childish.” A year later, her song “Black Barbies” seemed harder: “Island girl, Donald Trump want me go home.”

The Immigration Stand

The clearest break came in June 2018. Ms. Minaj, whose real name is Onika Maraj-Petty, made an emotional statement that now reads as striking given her current politics.

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SEE ALSO: Nicki Minaj urges fans to call on Senators to pass SAVE Act

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“I came to this country as an illegal immigrant @ 5 years old,” the Trinidad-born rapper wrote on Instagram, condemning Mr. Trump’s policy that separated children from their families at the border. “I can’t imagine the horror of being in a strange place & having my parents stripped away from me at the age of 5.”

At a 2020 conference, she remained firm: “I am not gonna jump on the Trump bandwagon.”

The COVID Turning Point

September 2021 marked what many see as pivotal. Ms. Minaj sparked international controversy, claiming her cousin’s friend in Trinidad became impotent with swollen testicles after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

Trinidad’s health minister said officials found “absolutely no reported side effect” of testicular swelling. Dr. Anthony Fauci and U.K. officials publicly refuted her claims. The White House offered to connect her with medical experts.

Two years later, Ms. Minaj told Vogue she didn’t regret the vaccine tweets. “I’m not going to be told who I should get on social media and campaign for,” she said.

Personal Legal Pressures

In July 2022, her husband Kenneth Petty was sentenced to house arrest and probation for failing to register as a sex offender in California. Petty had been convicted in 1995 of attempted rape. In January 2020, Ms. Minaj’s brother, Jelani Maraj, was sentenced to 25 years to life for repeatedly raping an 11-year-old girl.

Critics claim these legal troubles may explain her political shift, though Ms. Minaj has never requested pardons.

The Full Embrace

By November 2025, Ms. Minaj publicly thanked Mr. Trump for his post about Christians facing threats in Nigeria. She spoke at the United Nations alongside Trump officials on religious persecution. She attacked California Gov. Gavin Newsom with anti-trans messaging.

On Dec. 21, 2025, she appeared at Turning Point USA’s convention, calling Mr. Trump and Vice President JD Vance “amazing role models.” When thanked for being “courageous” despite industry backlash, she said, “I didn’t notice. We don’t even think about them.”

On Jan. 28, 2026, Ms. Minaj appeared at a Treasury Department event, declaring herself “probably the president’s number one fan.”

“The hate does not affect me at all,” she said. “It actually motivates me to support him more.”

Mr. Trump and Ms. Minaj held hands on stage. She later posted a photo of her Trump Gold Card — a $5 million fast-track to permanent residency — with the caption “Welp…”

The Backlash

The transformation has cost Ms. Minaj significant cultural capital, particularly among her LGBTQ+ fanbase. Her comments at Turning Point — telling the audience, “Boys, be boys… There’s nothing wrong with being a boy” — sparked widespread condemnation from LGBTQ+ fans who once considered her an icon. Videos show drag queens asking crowds, “Who here hates Nicki Minaj?” to cheers, while fans have posted videos replacing her verses with other artists.

LGBTQ+ activist Billy Porter delivered scathing criticism: “F—k her. When people show you who they are, believe them the first time.” Trevor Noah mocked her at the February Grammys, earning audience cheers. A deportation petition has gathered over 90,000 signatures.

But a source told the Daily Mail that Ms. Minaj isn’t worried. “She feels that if she is tight with the president of the United States, how cancelled can she possibly be? All it will take is another hit song to get back in everyone’s good graces.”

Now mobilizing fans for the SAVE Act, Ms. Minaj has completed her journey from undocumented immigrant advocate to MAGA activist. When Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the bill “Jim Crow 2.0,” Ms. Minaj fired back: “Stop weaponizing Jim Crow & the Holocaust in your political theater!!!!”

The rapper who once couldn’t imagine “the terror & panic” of separated immigrant children now supports the administration overseeing new immigration crackdowns.