Nicki Minaj has faced a backlash after cosying up to the Trump administration, with two online petitions calling for her deportation amassing more than 120,000 signatures. The rapper, who came to the US from Trinidad and Tobago as an undocumented child, has previously criticised Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policies.
In November, Minaj shared a post by Trump about the treatment of Christians in Nigeria and agreed to collaborate with the administration on awareness. The following month, she made a surprise appearance at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest convention, where she praised the late Charlie Kirk and Vice-President JD Vance.
During a conversation with Erika Kirk, Charlie’s widow, Minaj accidentally called Vance an “assassin”, but was quickly forgiven. “I love this woman,” Erika Kirk said after the gaffe.
The rapper’s shift has upset many fans, particularly given her 2016 lyric: “Island girl, Donald Trump want me go home.” Some speculate that Minaj may be seeking a presidential pardon for her husband, Kenneth Petty, a registered sex offender, but state convictions cannot be erased by a federal pardon.
