Why Is Nicki Minaj Singing Donald Trump’s Praises?

By ET Editor

News Americas, NY, NY, Tues. Nov. 17, 2025: Trinidad and Tobago–born rapper Nicki Minaj shocked many more today, publicly praising President Donald Trump and thanking him from the podium of the United Nations Headquarters. Her appearance — the first time a female rapper has addressed the UN — instantly raised eyebrows across the Caribbean, the African Diaspora and the immigrant and music world.

Trinidadian-US rapper Nicki Minaj speaks during the panel discussion “Combatting Religious Violence and the Killing of Christians in Nigeria” at the US Mission to the United Nations in New York City, on November 18, 2025. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

But Minaj’s sudden embrace of Trump is rooted in one specific issue: what she sees as the “persecution” of Christians in Nigeria.

The megastar spoke softly but firmly during a four-minute address ahead of a panel titled “Combating Religious Violence and the Killing of Christians in Nigeria.” She thanked Trump “for prioritizing this issue,” claiming Christians in Nigeria are being killed “simply because of how they pray.”

Trinidadian-US rapper Nicki Minaj speaks during the panel discussion “Combatting Religious Violence and the Killing of Christians in Nigeria” at the US Mission to the United Nations in New York City, on November 18, 2025. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

Her comments echoed Trump’s own narrative. And that is precisely where the controversy lies.

A Coordinated Appearance – Not an Organic One

According to reporting by TIME, Minaj’s participation was arranged by Trump adviser Alex Bruesewitz. Before she took the podium, UN Ambassador Mike Waltz thanked her for being willing to “demand action” on behalf of Christians.

This follows a recent pattern: Minaj has repeatedly amplified Trump’s messaging online, including:

• reposting a Truth Social message claiming Christianity faces an “existential threat” in Nigeria
• sharing a White House pro-MAGA video soundtracked by her own hit “Beez In the Trap”
• promoting a xenophobic and anti-trans video praising Trump’s achievements — a move that cost her more than 100,000 followers

In each instance, Minaj publicly aligned herself with Trump’s framing of Nigeria’s violence as a one-sided religious war.

But Is Trump’s Claim True?

Research indicates otherwise.

Independent data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, (ACLED) and the Council on Foreign Relations, shows violence in Nigeria is complex — driven by overlapping factors including:

• extremist activity
• criminal banditry
• farmer–herder land disputes
• economic insecurity
• political instability

Not religion alone.

Experts interviewed by ABC, CNN, and Al-Jazeera agree: The violence is indiscriminate and affects both Christians and Muslims.

Nigerian officials have repeatedly pushed back on the “Christians only” framing. Gimba Kakanda, Senior Special Assistant to the Nigerian President, wrote in Al-Jazeera that conflicts often “unfold along regional or community lines, not strictly religious ones.”

Human rights lawyer Bulama Bukarti added that presenting the crisis as Christian persecution alone “distorts reality and inflames tensions.”

Why Minaj Aligns With Trump — The Real Answer

Based on the timeline, three factors explain her sudden praise:

1. She has increasingly embraced faith-based rhetoric.

Minaj has recently emphasized Christianity as central to her identity and public messaging. Trump’s narrative directly appeals to that shift.

2. Trump is elevating celebrity voices who amplify his foreign-policy messaging.

Her UN appearance was facilitated by Trump’s political team — not by the UN itself. This was a platform engineered to validate his claim.

3. Minaj may be stepping into political influence — intentionally or unknowingly.

By repeating Trump’s talking points, she instantly became a megaphone for his Nigeria narrative — even though the data behind it is contested.

Minaj Says She’s “Not Taking Sides” — But Her Speech Chose One

Late in her speech, she emphasized she was “not taking sides politically.” But thanking Trump first — and exclusively — contradicted that claim. Her remarks came after Trump threatened to “invade Nigeria guns-a-blazing” to stop supposed “Islamic extremists,” despite no evidence of a religion-only genocide.

What This Means Going Forward

Nicki Minaj — a Caribbean-born global superstar with massive influence — has now waded into one of Africa’s most misunderstood crises.
Her endorsement gives Trump’s Nigeria narrative celebrity amplification, even as researchers and Nigerian leaders warn that such framing can worsen division on the ground.

Whether Minaj intended to or not, she has become part of a geopolitical messaging war — one where data and politics often clash.

For now, the answer to the question: “Why is Nicki Minaj singing Trump’s praises?” is clear:

Because she has embraced his narrative on Nigeria – a narrative her team has not independently vetted, but which aligns with Trump’s strategy, messaging and political goals.

Watch The Speech Here