Rapper Nicki Minaj surprised attendees at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest on Sunday, joining the conservative gathering in Phoenix for an onstage interview with the organization’s leader, Erika Kirk.
🇺🇸 Trump has “given so many people hope that there’s a chance to beat the bad guys, & to win, & to do it with your head held high & your integrity in tact. This administration is filled with people with heart & soul.”
MAKES US FEEL PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN 🔥 @NICKIMINAJ [1] pic.twitter.com/xkQosoncqI [2]
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) December 21, 2025 [3]
The rapper discussed [4] her evolving political views, criticism of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and her commitment to speaking out on religious persecution. Minaj read aloud from her recent X posts targeting Newsom, where she mocked his support for mutilating children and discouraged him from a potential presidential run.
“Looks like there’s some new scum on the timeline,” Minaj posted [5] earlier this month on X, referring to Newsom. In another post [6], she advised the Democratic governor to “get on the nearest Jet Ski and let that beautiful hair blow in the wind. It will make you happier than this race that you will not win.”
During the interview [7], she amplified her remarks, calling Newsom “Newscum” and advising young men in the audience, “Don’t be ‘Newscum’.” She added, “We don’t have a problem cleaning up the scum if we have to. Please tread lightly.”
Mina also expressed admiration for President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. She described Trump as someone who has “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.” Noting they both come from Queens, New York, she said the administration is “full of people with heart and soul.”
Of Vance, she said, “You have amazing role models like our handsome, dashing president and the assassin JD Vance, our vice president,” later correcting the slip. She highlighted their ability to connect with everyday Americans, stating, “They haven’t lost touch of the world… They have the ability to still connect and be real.”
Minaj then detailed her journey to faith, which began in her childhood in Trinidad, where her grandmother led family prayers. By the ages of 10 to 12 in New York, church attendance “changed everything” for her, exposing her to Scripture. She was baptized around age 13, but later drifted due to her career. Recently, she reconnected, feeling God’s immediate presence,Â
“As soon as you call on him, on the first ring, he’s going to answer,” Minaj told the crowd.
This renewal fueled her advocacy against religious persecution, particularly in Nigeria, where Christians face kidnappings and killings during services. “Nigeria is a place I’ve always loved,” she said, citing her Nigerian pastor and fans. “While they’re in church, people are being kidnapped, people are being killed, brutalized, all because of their religion, that should spark outrage.”
Minaj commended Trump’s designation of Nigeria [8] as a “country of particular concern” for religious violence.
The appearance drew standing ovations from the crowd. Minaj concluded by affirming her legacy: “It’s OK to change your mind.” Â
Vice President Vance, speaking later, praised Minaj and joked about her gaffe.
Watch the full video here: