“He just completely ignored me, with all the money I spent in taxes,” the rapper said of a key Democratic lawmaker.

Nicki Minaj reveals how personal beef with high-profile Democrat led her to endorse President Trump

"He just completely ignored me, with all the money I spent in taxes," the rapper said of a key Democratic lawmaker.

By Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel is a news writer at **. He began writing for EW in 2022.

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on May 14, 2026 8:58 p.m. ET

Nicki Minaj at 'Barbie' premiere in 2023; President Donald Trump at the White House. Credit:

Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage; Alex Brandon-Pool/Getty

- Nicki Minaj said she felt positively toward Donald Trump prior to endorsing him last year.

- However, the musician said that she "didn't dare act like" she supported the president prior to an incident that took place in 2025.

- A particular Democratic leader allegedly "completely ignored" her in a time of need, whereas a Republican offered help: "I was shocked."

Nicki Minaj is discussing her political alignment with the MAGA movement.

The "Super Bass" rapper explained the series of events that led her to publicly endorse President Trump in an interview with *Time* that published on Wednesday.

Minaj said that she felt aligned with Trump's policies long before she became an outspoken ally of the president in late 2025, but that she initially didn't speak up because she feared backlash.

"I felt that way already about him, just that I didn't dare act like that publicly," she said. "It's been ingrained in everyone's brain in the music business that we are supposed to be a Democratic family. I just knew they would not like me supporting Trump."

*Time* reported that Minaj's perspective shifted after multiple anonymous calls led to SWAT teams arriving at her home in Los Angeles. In response to the "swatting" — wherein people make false claims to 9-1-1 in order to dispatch SWAT teams to another person's home — she asked California governor Gavin Newsom for help, and requested a meeting through intermediaries, to no avail.

"He just completely ignored me, with all the money I spent in taxes," Minaj claimed.

When reached for comment, a representative from Newsom's office told ** that the governor "literally has nothing to do with this."

Nicki Minaj and Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 28, 2026.

Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty

Minaj also said that after another swatting incident in April 2025, she was contacted by Republican congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna, who connected the musician with a private security group and federal law enforcement officials.

"I was shocked," Minaj said. "I'd never seen anyone in politics treat me that way."

The rapper said that she was inspired to speak out about her love for Trump after that. "That's what made me say that I don't care to keep this a secret anymore," she said.

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Minaj said that there are numerous entertainers who share her political views but don't want to publicize them.

"Many celebrities feel the way I do … but they don't say it. Sometimes you just need one brave person to get the brunt of the impact. I think I am the catalyst for that change," she said.

"Hopefully when they see me and hear me speak and feel my energy … that will make them say, 'You know what, who am I afraid of? What am I afraid of?'"

Minaj also suggested that she believes Trump's unfounded claims of voter fraud.

"People are voting that aren't supposed to vote," she opined. "Obviously, I do not know, but I know that if [Trump] comes out and says it, that he's done his due diligence, and I know that he's not just making it up."

Nicki Minaj performing at Madison Square Garden in New York City in 2024.

Kevin Mazur/Getty

She also volunteered to assist Trump with the midterms. "I'll do whatever it is," she said.

Minaj added that she was unhappy with Barack Obama's alignment with Jay-Z during his presidency.

"I think Jay-Z ended up costing Obama a lot, whether he knows it or not," she told *Time*. "Lots of rappers don't like Jay-Z and were afraid to say it."

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The rapper also explained what she appreciates about Trump. "It's the same way Marilyn Monroe represents a vibe," she says. "Donald Trump is his own vibe."

Minaj said that she's thrilled to have her political opinions out in the open.

"I've never felt happier. I've never felt better," she said. "When you can be yourself, you're happier."

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