(MENAFN- Live Mint) In a surprising political shift, rapper Nicki Minaj used a United Nations platform to publicly align herself with Donald Trump, effectively declaring her support for his administration and broader Republican ideals.

Nicki Minaj is officially a Republican

Speaking at the U.S. Mission to the U.N. on Tuesday, she framed her intervention as a moral calling, speaking passionately about the persecution of Christians in Nigeria - a major talking point of the Trump camp.

Introduced by U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz, who praised her as more than a celebrity but“a witness... to spotlight Nigeria's persecuted church,” Minaj delivered a forceful address. She thanked Trump by name:“I wanted to thank President Trump for prioritising this issue... for calling for urgent action to defend Christians in Nigeria, to combat extremism and to bring a stop to violence... simply because of how they pray.”

Speaking as someone deeply grateful for the religious freedom she enjoyed in the U.S., Minaj said,“I stood there as a proud New Yorker... we live in a country where we could freely and safely worship God, regardless of one's creed, background, or politics... No group should ever be persecuted for practising their religion.”

She described her activism not as partisan, but as deeply personal, rooted in faith:“Protecting Christians in Nigeria is not about taking sides or dividing people. It is about uniting humanity.”

Also Read | Dick Cheney's funeral: Trump and Vance not invited, report says

Her remarks coincided with her public social media responses to Trump, which had already stirred speculation about her political leanings. In recent weeks, she echoed Trump's narrative on the Nigerian crisis, posting on X (formerly Twitter):“No group should ever be persecuted for practising their religion... Thank you to The President & his team for taking this seriously.”

Conservative commentators swiftly interpreted her remarks as a declaration of a MAGA -style alignment, with some calling her“the first major figure in Hollywood to publicly side with Trump in this capacity.”

She also addressed her fanbase - known as the“Barbz” - in her U.N. remarks, reinforcing her conviction:“Barbz... this wasn't about taking sides. This was about standing up in the face of injustice... what I have always stood for... and I will continue to stand for that for the rest of my life.”

This is also a Nicki Minaj rebrand

Political observers have pointed out that this moment may mark a full-blown rebrand for Minaj, who has long stayed publicly ambivalent about her partisan allegiances. Now, by siding with Trump in a high-profile U.N. setting, she appears to be embracing a role more aligned with the conservative Republican base.

However, her alignment has not come without backlash. Critics warned that by echoing Trump's framing of Nigerian violence as primarily a threat to Christians, she risked oversimplifying deeply rooted political, ethnic, and security issues.

Others accused her of using the moment for political signalling, rather than genuine humanitarian advocacy.

Nevertheless, Minaj defended her stance as non-partisan moral clarity, stating repeatedly that her intervention was about defending persecuted people, not endorsing a political party. Her public gratitude towards Trump, and her insistence on uniting humanity in the face of religious violence, made it clear that she was stepping fully into a role as both celebrity and activist - with clear alignment to the Republican, Trump-supporting base.

MENAFN20112025007365015876ID1110375958