Nicki Minaj made a surprise appearance at the Turning Point USA AmericaFest.
On Sunday (Dec. 21), the rapper was introduced as a guest for a Q&A session with Turning Point CEO Erika Kirk at AmericaFest, held in Phoenix, Arizona.
During the session, Minaj spoke about her foray into politics, Gavin Newsom, her “utmost respect” for President Donald Trump and JD Vance, and her speech last month at the United Nations on what she characterized as the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
The rapper, in what seemed to be a nod to her recent rhetoric against Newsom's support of trans children, drew hard lines when answered Kirk's question about advice she had for struggling children, telling the girls they should be "proud of how they look," while saying that "boys will be boys."
You can see Nicki's full segment in the video below.
Nicki speaks on California governor Gavin Newsom
At the beginning of the Q&A session, Nicki was asked to read two of her tweets criticizing the California governor.
When invited to speak freely about Newsom, Minaj added, "Dear Newscum, we don't have a problem cleaning up the scum if we have to. Please tread lightly. That's what I would say to Gavypoo."
Nicki says she has the “utmost respect” for Donald Trump and J.D. Vance
Minaj spoke at length about her views of President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance, saying, "Well, I have the utmost respect and admiration for our president. 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 added, "Even in the worst feeling times in your life, you think that you're never going to come back from it, but you do. And our president shows that."
Minaj also spoke about the toll of public criticism, saying, "Having to constantly be lied on... until you are in that person's shoes that's being lied on, you'll never understand what it feels like. That person is a human being, they have a family who has to read those lies, and that's not fair."
On the administration as a whole, she said, "This administration is full of people with heart and soul. And they make me proud of them."
About the president and VP, she added, "I love both 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. I can relate to them... they're still connected to the world and what's happening in the world... and make us feel proud to be American."
Nicki explains why she started talking about politics.
When asked what prompted her to speak publicly about politics, Minaj said, "I just got tired of being pushed around. Sometimes you just get tired of it, and then you realize, 'Wait a minute, I have something inside of me that's stronger than what's out there!"
She continued, "I'm not going to back down anymore. I'm not going to back down ever again."
On criticism from the entertainment industry
Minaj explained why she believes speaking openly has become controversial, saying, "Because people no longer are using their minds, their brains. We're not allowed to have a different opinion anymore. We're not allowed to think out loud anymore."
When asked about the backlash she receives from the entertainment industry, Nicki bluntly said, "I didn't notice."
She continued, “We're the cool kids. The other people, they're the ones who are still just disgruntled, but really they're just disgruntled with themselves. They are angry with themselves, you guys. So, you can't wake up and think about somebody who is determined to just stay mad. I literally tell them ‘stay mad,’ because we're going to stay joyful and peaceful and iconic and smart and we're gonna stay thinkers. In a world that doesn't want us to think, we will think. By ourselves on our own, we will continue to think.”
On speaking out for Christians in Nigeria
The “Pound The Alarm” rapper was also asked to shed some light on what inspired her to speak before the United Nations last month about what she has characterized as the persecution of Christians in the West African country.
“We take for granted that there, right now in this world are people who cannot worship God as they please, where they please,” she explained. “We take it for granted because we have it. We can't even imagine not having that right. But every time we pray in fellowship, we have to remember the people that are right now in this world hiding to pray in fellowship, and we have to pray for them.”
Minaj says it should “spark outrage in the great America” upon hearing that Christians are being kidnapped while in church before being “brutalized” and “killed.”
She added, “We're not backing down anymore. We are not going to be silenced by the bullies anymore, OK? Know that, hear that, receive that, bullies. We won't be silenced ever again. We will speak up for Christians wherever they are in this world.”
Elsewhere in the Q&A, Minaj added, “Christians have been being persecuted right here in our country in different ways. So when we talk about Nigeria and other countries, know that prior administrations saw nothing wrong with that, and that's what was wrong with them.”
She continued, “We can't let people like that be in power, you guys. That's the truth. I can sugarcoat it and laugh and kiki, but the truth is, I am here today to tell you guys that we absolutely cannot let people who have a problem with us worshiping God — we cannot have them in power.”
The J.D. Vance “assassin” blunder
During her discussion about male role models, Nicki briefly referred to JD Vance as "the assassin." Minaj paused abruptly at the realization of her comment, which came more than three months after Charlie Kirk was shot and killed by a gunman on September 10.
The moment prompted the audience to murmur when they realized the comment's unintended context.
Erika Kirk quickly reassured her, saying, "Trust me, there's nothing new under the sun that I have not heard, so you're fine.
“You have to laugh about it. Truly, I have been called every single thing, and you know what? God is so good, you let it roll right off your back, and this is what's so beautiful about this moment, because if the internet wants to clip it, who cares? I love this woman. She's an amazing woman. She has a soul and a heart for the Lord, and words are words, but I know her heart, and it doesn't even matter, and you say what you wanna say because I know your heart and I will not judge that.”
For broader context, Minaj has previously used "assassin" as a term of endearment to the vice president for his use of memes and “top tier comedy” on social media.
Advice for young men and women
On young women, Minaj said, "No matter how you look, we should be trying to instill into them to be proud of how they look."
She criticized messaging that makes any group feel diminished, saying, "I don't need someone with blonde hair and blue eyes to downplay their beauty because I know my beauty." She stressed, "I don't want it done to any girls. I want all the little girls in the world to know that you are unique, you are beautiful."
Turning to boys, Minaj said simply, "For boys: boys, be boys. … There's nothing wrong with being a boy. How about that? How powerful is that? How profound is that? Boys will be boys, and there's nothing wrong with that.”
On legacy and changing one's mind
When asked what legacy she hopes to leave, Minaj answered, "That it's OK to change your mind."
“Sometimes there's a lot of things projected onto you when you change your own mind. They project fear, shame, onto people who don't think and do as they think and do. But I've traveled the world, I've performed for huge crowds all around the world, and no matter how many songs I do on that stage, it didn't mean as much as this. Because this is a direct link for younger people. This is a direct link between young people and God. There's been a lack of that in our media, in our everyday conversations.”
"No matter how many songs I do on that stage, it didn't mean as much as this."
She tied her message back to faith and politics, stating, "We absolutely cannot let people who have a problem with us worshiping God... be in power." She warned against hostility toward Christians, saying, "Our spirit irritates them because when we speak they get shown up. When the truth walks in the room, the lies hide."