Nicki Minaj, rap icon registered under the Trump banner

The artist, once a symbol of inclusive pop culture, made a spectacular political turn by appearing alongside the most radical conservatives, evoking incomprehension and rejection among some of his audience.

AmericaFest, a large annual gathering of American conservative youth, had a big surprise in store last Sunday in Phoenix. Nicki Minaj, one of the most popular figures in world rap, took the stage alongside Erika Kirk, head of the Turning Point USA organization. Dressed discreetly in a departure from her usually extravagant outfits, the musician expressed her “ultimate respect” for former president Donald Trump, even calling him “irresistible”. She also praised the “heart” of members of the current administration, a speech clearly out of step with her past stances.

This public rally for the MAGA movement, which openly opposes drag culture and transgender rights, caused a shock wave. Many admirers, especially within the LGBT+ community she once said she supported, say they feel betrayed. On social networks, commentators believe that the artist “hit the bottom”, recalling that she appeared in 2020 as a judge on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” declaring her “loyalty to the cause of drag”. This turn seems to seal a development that has started for several months.

Last November, Nicki Minaj made a notable appearance at the United Nations during a roundtable on violence in Nigeria, repeating controversial allegations about Christians. Soon after, she unreservedly shared a White House video using one of her headlines to promote the Trump administration’s record, a gesture that other stars had denounced instead. This new political orientation contradicts her statements in 2018, where, evoking her status as an immigrant who came as a child, she criticized the separation of families at the border.

If the rapper joins other hip-hop names like Lil Wayne in showing their support for Donald Trump, her unique journey and status as a pop icon make it a particularly symbolic occasion. His engagement, perceived by some as an opportunistic maneuver, illustrates the fractures and recompositions at work within the American cultural landscape, where traditional political lines are increasingly blurred. The artist, lauded for her talent and record sales, will now have to deal with a deeply divided public image.