From denouncing the Trump bandwagon to having utmost respect for our president, Nicki Minaj has performed a political one-eighty and has gone full MAGA.
Globally recognized rapper, singer and songwriter Nicki Minaj was born in Trinidad and Tobago and immigrated to the United States at age five. She started to gain traction in pop culture with short mixtapes before soon amassing millions of followers across social media platforms and selling over 100 million records, making her one of the biggest female rappers in history.
Initially, Nicki Minaj was politically vocal and left-leaning, criticizing Trump’s immigration policies. Her political views matched those of her audience, which was primarily liberal, LGBTQ+ and BIPOC. Now, she has over 70,000 signatures on a petition to deport her to Trinidad. This backlash is linked to Minaj’s attendance at a Turning Point U.S.A. conference with Erika Kirk, where Minaj made comments slandering Transgender rights and complimented President Trump as “handsome” and “dashing.” Minaj’s conservative coming-out celebration shocked and offended many loyal fans, resulting in her losing millions of followers on social media and provoking a reaction from the Loyola community.
Tom Corcoran ’28 said, “I think that an artist’s political beliefs shouldn’t affect how we view their music, but it’s okay if it affects how we view them as a person.”
Additionally, many Cubs believe that fan outcry should be expected from Minaj’s political reinvention.
Daniel Fernandez ‘28 argues, “Celebrities can believe whatever they want. That doesn’t mean they won’t face backlash from the fans, though.”
So, why has Nicki Minaj gone MAGA? A common theory can be boiled down to self-interest. Some theorists argue that Minaj is trying to get her husband, a convicted sex offender and felon, pardoned. Her husband, Kenneth “Zoo” Petty, was convicted of first-degree attempted rape of a 16-year-old girl, manslaughter in 2006, and other charges. President Trump has been known to wield his pardon power to benefit high-profile celebrities and executives, who speak in favor of his policies and popularity. The President’s willingness to grant pardons to public allies supports the speculation that Minaj is angling to get relief for her husband. Another theory could involve Minaj’s recent announcement that her citizenship paperwork is being finalized.
Minaj and MAGA supporters, however, contend that Minaj has acted courageously in publicly supporting Trump, identifying policies that resonate with the artist. It is also possible that Minaj’s roots have played a role in her political shift. Trinidad & Tobago’s prime minister openly supported President Trump’s efforts to remove Venezuela’s president, Nicolas Maduro.
Nicki Minaj’s switch to MAGA raises questions about how fans are influenced by the political affiliations of artists. Should fans adjust their consumption based on an artist’s political leanings? In an era of divided politics, artists may weigh the consequences of political activism against loyalty to their image and fans.
