Rapper Nicki Minaj made a surprise appearance at a Turning Point USA event Sunday, where she praised “handsome” and “dashing” President Donald Trump.
The rap star was interviewed by Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, about her newly found support for Trump — someone she had condemned in the past — and her actions denouncing violence against Christians in Nigeria.
Minaj used her time on stage at the gathering of conservatives in Arizona to praise Trump and Vice President JD Vance, calling them “role models” for young men.
She mocked California Gov. Gavin Newsom, referring to him as New-scum, a nickname Trump gave him.
“For young men, don’t be Newscum,” she said. “You have amazing role models like our handsome dashing president. And you have amazing role models like JD Vance, our vice president.”
“This administration is full of people with heart and soul, and they make me proud of them. Our vice president, he makes me … well, I love both of them,” Minaj continued. “Both of them have a very uncanny ability to be someone that you relate to.”
Minaj said she was tired of being “pushed around,” and she said that speaking your mind with different ideas is controversial because “people are no longer using their minds.”
Kirk, who took over as leader of Turning Point USA after the murder of her husband, thanked Minaj for being “courageous,” despite the backlash she is receiving from the entertainment industry for expressing support for Trump.
“I didn’t notice,” Minaj said. “We don’t even think about them.” Kirk then said “we don’t have time to. We’re too busy building, right?”
“We’re the cool kids,” Minaj said.
The Trinidadian-born rapper is best known for her hits Super Freaky Girl, Anaconda and Starships. She has been nominated for 12 Grammy awards over the course of her career.
In 2018, Minaj was one of several celebrities condemning Trump’s zero-tolerance immigration policy that split more than 5,000 children from their families at the Mexico border. Back then, she shared her own story of arriving to the country at 5 years old, describing herself as an “illegal immigrant.”
“This is so scary to me. Please stop this. Can you try to imagine the terror & panic these kids feel right now?” she posted then on Instagram.
On Sunday on stage with Erika Kirk, Minaj said, “it’s OK to change your mind.”
