Nicki Minaj is opening up in unprecedented detail about her support for Donald Trump, arguing that fear and industry pressure keep many entertainers from expressing similar political views publicly. In a new interview with TIME published May 13, the rapper framed herself as a cultural “catalyst” willing to absorb backlash so others can speak more freely.
“Many celebrities feel the way I do but they don’t say it,” Minaj said. “Sometimes you just need one brave person to get the brunt of the impact. I think I am the catalyst for that change.”
The wide-ranging conversation, conducted at Mar-a-Lago, marks Minaj’s clearest explanation yet of how she moved from occasional political commentary to openly aligning herself with Trump and the MAGA movement. During the interview, she claimed the music industry has long operated with an unspoken expectation that artists publicly support Democrats, something she says kept her quiet for years.
“I felt that way already about him, just that I didn’t dare act like that publicly,” she told TIME. “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.”
Her comments arrive after months of increasingly visible political appearances. Since late 2025, Minaj has appeared at Turning Point USA-related events, praised Trump and Vice President JD Vance during interviews, and repeatedly referred to herself as Trump’s “No. 1 fan.”
Minaj also tied her political shift to frustrations with major figures inside hip-hop culture. Discussing former President Barack Obama, she suggested his close relationship with Jay-Z damaged his credibility within parts of the rap community.
“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 interview revisits several incidents that accelerated her ideological shift. Among them was the fallout surrounding her controversial 2021 vaccine tweets, which sparked criticism from public health officials and widespread online backlash. Minaj described that period as a turning point, particularly after conservative commentators publicly defended her while she felt abandoned by figures on the left.
Another key factor involved repeated swatting incidents at her Los Angeles home. According to Minaj, California Governor Gavin Newsom did not respond to requests for assistance, while Republican congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna quickly helped connect her with security resources and federal contacts. Minaj said that experience fundamentally changed how she viewed political loyalty and public silence.
Beyond politics, the TIME interview paints Trump less as a traditional politician and more as a symbolic figure in Minaj’s eyes. “It’s the same way Marilyn Monroe represents a vibe,” she explained. “Donald Trump is his own vibe.”
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