Nicki Minaj, the most successful female rapper in music history (a distinction in my book that ranks right up there with Eddie Gaedel being the only midget to play Major League Baseball), made a surprise appearance at the Turning Point USA AmericaFest convention, walking out hand-in-hand with CEO Erika Kirk, to close the conservative organization’s annual event in Phoenix, Arizona yesterday. The conservative media and blogosphere was ecstatic. (The Axis media was shocked and horrified.)
Minaj is a woman, black, and not native-born: she’s supposed to hate Trump, MAGA, conservatives, Republican, the whole basket of deplorables. But there she was, gushing on stage, “I have the utmost respect and admiration for our President. I don’t know if he even knows this, but he’s given so many people hope,” adding that Trump was “handsome,” “dashing” and a good “role model.”
So what? The news media presuming that Nicki Minaj’s opinion on anything should matter one iota to anyone is endorsing the fatuous delusion of the Harris campaign, which paid out millions to get endorsement from celebrities who have no policy credibility whatsoever. Nevertheless, the Right is celebrating Minaj’s endorsement for the same reason Democrats became Liz Cheney fans: these are Cognitive Dissonance Scale games, the most cynical kind imaginable. Minaj figures to have a fan base made up of demographics that tend to favor Democrats, but cognitive dissonance theory dictates that if someone high in their estimation embraces the MAGA cult, Trump, Turning Point and the rest will be forcefully pulled up the scale, maybe even into positive territory!
(Of course, the scale also dictates that Minaj’s popularity will take a major hit as well.)
It is irresponsible for either side of the political spectrum to suggest by their coverage that the political views of Nicki Minage should have any influence on public political opinion at all. The only extended exposure I had to Minaj was when she was a judge on “American Idol,” and appeared to be the poster girl for Dunning-Kruger. In her interview on stage with Erika yesterday, Nicki confirmed my diagnosis, saying at one point,
“Dear young men, you have amazing role models like our handsome, dashing President. And you have amazing role models like the assassin, JD Vance.”
Oopsie! Naturally this moment became the focus of the Axis reporting, while the conservative sources ignored it.
There is no reason to expect better from the rapper. Minaj is a high school grad from a dysfunctional, drug-addled family. There is nothing in her background or previous public statements to suggest that she is well-informed on any topic outside of the music business. Never mind: she’s a celebrity and a key voting bloc likes her. That’s sufficient for Republicans to anoint her as a political maven.
Nicki Minaj is also an illegal immigrant who has been open about her status. She has never bothered to become a citizen. The Trump administration could demonstrate some integrity (which would be a breath of fresh air!) by deporting Minaj. I know, I know, she’s not a criminal, at least. as far as we know, since she arrived on these shores. Nonetheless, Minaj openly advertises the fact that she has defied U.S. immigration laws and citizenship requirements. As a celebrity, she causes more harm than an illegal who is a petty thief. She sends the message across our borders that you can become rich and famous here as long as you elude ICE long enough.
Now, however, the Right has made her a hero.
The hypocrisy and idiocy of our political scene is suffocating.
Ethics Alarms 
Playing the cognitive dissonance game well is politically smart, and as competency is an ethical value, I take no issue with accepting her endorsement by conservative(s) (politicians). This is especially important in retaining the electoral gains Trump booked in 2024 with black male voters.
However care needs to be taken with whom you associate. Kanye West also endorsed Trump in the past; given the embarrassment he regularly causes the best thing is for the President and for the GOP to be silent about this. And then there are those everybody wants to deny ever to have met them, such as Jeffrey Epstein…
Is she not deported because she pays massive amounts of income tax?
I can’t believe she’s completely illegal. Her management wouldn’t allow that risk to fester. She must have some sort of legal status. Surely, she’s bragging about being illegal to attract fans. And perhaps saying she’s not a citizen doesn’t mean she’s illegal.
According to Siri or AI or somesuch, Nicki Minaj is a legal immigrant to the United States, having moved from Trinidad and Tobago as a child, and while she initially came as a minor before her parents secured permanent residency, she later naturalized and is a U.S. citizen. She has spoken about her journey, noting she was an “illegal immigrant” at first but emphasizes her parents were working towards residency, and she is now a citizen. Looks like she qualified under DACA, then derived benefits from her parents’ status.
Key Points:
Self-Description: She’s described her early arrival as an “illegal immigrant” but clarified she’s not a citizen as of a 2024 statement, though she is now naturalized. Key Points:
Origin: Trinidad and Tobago.
Arrival: Moved to Queens, NY, at age 5 (late 1980s).
Status: Her parents had lawful permanent residency, and she later became a U.S. citizen.
Self-Description: She’s described her early arrival as an “illegal immigrant” but clarified she’s not a citizen as of a 2024 statement, though she is now naturalized.
Origin: Trinidad and Tobago.
Arrival: Moved to Queens, NY, at age 5 (late 1980s).
Status: Her parents had lawful permanent residency, and she later became a U.S. citizen.
jvb
From a source I checked just now: “No, as of late 2025, Nicki Minaj is
not a U.S. citizen, though she moved to the U.S. as a child and became a lawful permanent resident (green card holder) through her mother, but stated publicly in 2024 that she still lacked full citizenship, despite living in America for decades.”
If that’s accurate, I don’t understand why we allow this, or more to the point, what say a non-citizen should have in US political matters.
I don’t disagree. I would put all celebrities in the same category. I simply don’t care what their positions are. When they actually have knowledge and/or understanding of the issues involved, I will listen to them. Otherwise, they should shut up and sing or play or whatever.
jvb
My long time next door neighbors — the wife was British and was a green card holder for many years, if not decades. I remember the subject coming up once, and she said that she didn’t want to give up her British citizenship.
I wonder what she thinks of what Britain has become recently. This is a very liberal community, so I suspect lots of folks are just fine with Britain becoming a censorship mecca and a speech suppressing society.
Thank God somebody said it. So sick of hearing about Niki Minaj, her politics and what she believes have less impact on me than a molecule of hydrogen.
Our celebrity worship culture is beyond toxic.
Well, okay, maybe that should have read “…molecule of water…” or “…atom of hydrogen…”.
Hydrogen, in it’s most common gaseous form, forms two-atom ionic-bonded molecules with itself, and has the chemical symbol H2 (with the ‘2’ subscripted).
So . . . you were actually right the first time.
–Dwayne
P.S. That said, the gas is quite explosive, so on a molecule-to-molecule basis, hydrogen can be said to have more “impact” than most other molecules.
Right, and wrong, I guess. I was thinking atom and wrote molecule.
But thanks very much for the clarification!
not explosive, combustible. It needs to mix with Oxygen and a source of heat….
Well, plenty of heat generated by politics, eh?
But oxygen — isn’t Trump supposed to suck all the oxygen from the room?
Sort of related: I’ve yet to see any real proof that judge Juan Merchan is a US citizen…seems maybe sort of important, or at least “proper” for someone trying a US president. Everything I’ve seen on the question seem to boil down to some form of “Well, he must be” because he was “vetted” for the judgeship, has a drivers license, is registered to vote, etc. Much of this just builds on a previous assumption or “proof”, almost like hearsay. Original records and documents that could definitely establish his status are not accessible by the public, & it doesn’t look like anyone has ever pushed for them.