U.S. President Donald Trump praised rapper Nicki Minaj during a reception at the White House celebrating Black History Month, expressing admiration for her and highlighting her appearance in front of gathered guests.
Addressing the audience, Trump asked: “Do we love Nicki Minaj? I love Nicki Minaj. She was here a few weeks ago. Very beautiful. Her skin is so beautiful. I said, ‘Nicki, you are so beautiful,’” prompting applause from the crowd.
The president went on to recount their most recent meeting at the White House, noting that her long nails caught his attention.
“Her nails are so long. I asked her, ‘Nicki, are they real?’ She didn’t want to go into details,” he said, gesturing with his hands. He added that Minaj is “very beautiful and very brilliant,” but emphasized that what matters even more to him is that she “understands things.”
His remarks come days after Minaj shared on social media an AI-generated image showing her sitting in a convertible car next to Trump, counting money, on Presidents’ Day, February 16. The post received mixed reactions, with some criticizing it as inappropriate, while others thanked her for supporting the president.
The mutual admiration appears to be longstanding. Minaj previously publicly described herself as Trump’s “number one fan” after meeting him at a rally in Washington. She has stated that criticism does not discourage her, but rather motivates her to support him openly. In a podcast appearance, she said the way Trump is treated publicly reminds her of the bullying and false accusations she claims to have faced for years.
Late last year, Minaj also made a surprise appearance at an event organized by the conservative group Turning Point USA in Phoenix, where she delivered a speech and referred to Trump and Vice President JD Vance as role models.
