



How Nicki Minaj became Trump’s ‘No. 1 fan’
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Shortly before the 2024 election that would move him back into the White House, Donald Trump took a phone call on his plane from a secret supporter.Nicki Minaj was on the line, and she wanted Trump to know she was supporting his re-election, according to people familiar with the matter.Trump’s campaign managers, sensing an opportunity to score an endorsement from the rap world’s most popular female star, asked Minaj to take her support public. But Minaj—and her management team—said she needed to stay behind the scenes because taking a political stance posed a risk to her brand and businesses, some of these people said.Not anymore.Today, the 43-year-old best known for chart toppers like “Starships,” for leading an online army of mega-fans known as “Barbz” and for bringing a theatrical streak to contemporary hip hop has embraced a new status atop MAGA’s A-list.She has visited Trump in the Oval Office, spoken in support of administration priorities at the United Nations and encouraged her tens of millions of social-media followers to lobby their legislators on the White House’s behalf.
She has gabbed onstage with conservative influencers. She’s also put her own money behind Trump accounts for children, filmed a TikTok meme video with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and recorded a podcast with conservative commentator Katie Miller.
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