I have to admit that I did not have rapper Nicki Minaj aligning herself with MAGA folks on my 2025 bingo card. I also have to admit that I had no intention of working today, much less writing about Turning Point USA's AmericaFest, which took place in Phoenix, Arizona, over the last few days. This may or may not be an unpopular opinion, but some of the speakers involved with the event are just a little too much on the crazy side for me lately.
What did pull me out of my computer-free hibernation was Nicki Minaj. The rapper shocked the AmFest audience on Sunday by making an appearance on stage with TPUSA CEO Erika Kirk. The crowd went wild, cheering and giving her a standing ovation.
Nicki Minaj makes an appearance at Turning Point USA America Fest with Erika Kirk. pic.twitter.com/E9mVyPT6Cb
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) December 21, 2025
But it's what she said about President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance that grabbed my attention.
"I have the utmost respect and admiration for our president," Minaj said, adding, "He has, I don't know if he even knows this, but he's given so many people hope that there's a chance to beat the bad guys — and to win and to do it with your head held high and your integrity intact."
She went on to talk about how Trump has been through "every single thing a person could be through, publicly" and how so many people constantly lie about him. "Until you are in that person's shoes that's being lied on, you'll never understand what it feels like," she said. "That person is a human being, they have a family who has to read those lies, and that's not, it's just not fair."
Minaj said that there are so many people in this administration who have "heart and soul," including Vance.
"Our vice president... Well, I love of them. They're both powerful men, smart, strong, all of that, but both of them have a very uncanny ability to be someone that you relate to," she continued. "I can relate to them. When I hear them speak, I know that they're one of us. They haven't lost touch of the world, you know. They're still connected to the world and what's happening in the world with the younger people and older people, with the richer people and not so rich people."
She concluded: "They have the ability to still connect and be real and make us feel proud to be American."
.@NICKIMINAJ: "I have the utmost respect and admiration for our President. I don't know if he even knows this, but he has given so many people HOPE that there's a chance to beat the bad guys and to WIN... This Admin is full of people with heart and soul, and they make me PROUD." pic.twitter.com/ZvF9hE4VcV
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) December 21, 2025
Minaj also encouraged young men to be more like Trump than someone like California Governor Gavin Newsom and said that she's learned how important it is to stick up for her beliefs and that she'll never back down from them again. The rapper has been incredibly outspoken about various issues lately, including the persecution of Christians in Nigeria and Newsom's heavy support of "trans" kids.
But that line about Trump and Vance — "I know they're one of us" — was exactly what I needed to hear today. There has been a lot of yucky noise on our side of the aisle lately. I'm not going to name names, but there are some loud voices saying some abhorrent things that I just can't get behind, yet they're still getting a ton of attention. And to be honest, I don't agree with every single thing Trump and Vance do or say. Judging by probably 80% of our comments on this site, most of you don't either.
But I do think Trump leads from a different place within himself than almost every president before him. His short political career wasn't born in the D.C. swamp. It was born in the real world. Sure, he's lived a life that most of never have and never will, but I truly believe he wants the best for this country and its people. I've heard so many people say — even some the highest members of his cabinet — that they didn't initially like him or want him as president, but once they stopped buying into what those on the left or who are out for their own personal gain said about him, they actually realized he's not what they thought he was. Is he perfect? No, none of us are. But he's the first president I've voted for who truly seems to love this country and respect her people, and for that reason I'd vote him for again and again.
So, I'm glad I caught that little moment today. I'm also glad that Minaj is speaking up. It's easy to say "who cares" about what celebrities think, but this woman does play an important role in our culture and influences young people, whether we like it or not — the very young people whose votes we need to keep this country out of the hands of the leftists who will destroy it in the near future.
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