OAN Staff Katherine Mosack and Brooke Mallory
3:05 PM – Thursday, May 14, 2026
In a recent interview with TIME Magazine, Nicki Minaj detailed the political evolution that led to her vocal support for President Donald Trump, specifically attributing her shift to deep-seated frustrations with the Democrat establishment.
Minaj explained that her disillusionment began during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly regarding the vaccine mandates and public health policies championed by Governor Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.), as well as the policies of the former Obama administration.
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She argued that Democrat-led “cancel culture” and regulatory pressures from these left-wing leaders felt like an overreach of authority, ultimately alienating her from the party she once supported. Minaj argued further that the actions of both Newsom and Obama effectively “drove” her to become a prominent figure within the MAGA movement.
The record-breaking rapper also recently described herself as Trump’s “number one fan” during a January event celebrating a new administration initiative for infant retirement savings accounts. Beyond her vocal endorsement, Minaj committed significant financial resources to the program, pledging hundreds of thousands of dollars to cover the initial investments for her fans’ “Trump Accounts.”
During the rollout, she revealed that her support for the GOP president was not a sudden development, but a long-held private stance maintained despite the music industry’s pervasive expectation for high-profile artists to align with progressive or left-leaning politics.
“I felt that way already about him, just that I didn’t dare act like that publicly,” she 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.”
Even before her recent endorsements, Minaj had a track record of playing the contrarian, often tucking sharp, subversive lines into her music that went against the grain.
This streak was on full display years ago in her verse on rapper Lil Wayne’s “Mercy,” where she dropped a political reference that flew in the face of the era’s status quo. It was an early sign that she was willing to buck industry expectations long before her formal “shift” in politics.
“I’m a Republican voting for Mitt Romney; You lazy bitches is f**king up the economy,” her line states.
Minaj’s public transition to the Trump camp reportedly solidified during his second term, following years of more private support. Her decision to speak out was heavily influenced by the 2024 election cycle, specifically after Obama delivered a message to Black male voters while campaigning for Kamala Harris.
During that rally, Obama criticized those considering sitting out the election or backing Trump — stating that such a lack of support for Harris was unacceptable. Minaj, however, pushed back against this rhetoric in her interview, making it clear she resented the notion that Black entertainers are expected to offer the Democrat Party their reflexive, unquestioning loyalty.
“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,” she told TIME. “They felt like they weren’t being listened to.”
Minaj also added that her disillusionment with Democrat leadership stemmed from a lack of support during a period of personal crisis. In 2022 and 2023, she reportedly reached out to Newsom’s office to request a meeting and seek assistance regarding a series of dangerous “swatting” incidents at her home.
These attacks involve individuals making fraudulent emergency calls to trigger a serious police or SWAT response under false pretenses, a practice Minaj found deeply traumatizing, naturally. However, according to the rapper, the governor never responded to her messages.
“He just completely ignored me,” Minaj continued. “… With all the money I spent in taxes.”
Nonetheless, following a subsequent attack last year, the situation shifted when Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) proactively reached out to Minaj to offer assistance. Luna played a pivotal role in coordinating a response by connecting the rapper with federal law enforcement agencies and facilitating the arrangement of a specialized private security team to ensure her safety.
“I was shocked,” Nicki shared of Luna’s response. “I’d never seen anyone in politics treat me that way.”
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