Nicki Minaj calls herself Trump's "number one fan"

Nicki Minaj has thrown her full support behind Donald Trump, calling herself his “number one fan” and publicly showing off a Trump “gold card” visa that offers residency and a pathway to US citizenship.

The Trinidadian-born rapper appeared alongside the president at a Trump Accounts Summit in Washington DC on Wednesday, where Trump invited her on stage after she praised the initiative, which creates trust-style investment accounts for children. The two were seen holding hands at the podium, with Trump joking he might grow out his nails to match hers.

“I will say that I am probably the president's number one fan, and that's not going to change,” Minaj said. “And the hate or what people have to say, it does not affect me at all. It actually motivates me to support him more.”

Hours later, Minaj posted a photo of her gold card on X, emblazoned with Trump’s face, simply captioned: “Welp.” As the post went viral, she followed up with a longer message explaining what the card meant to her: “Residency? Residency? The cope is coping. 😅 Finalizing that citizenship paperwork as we speak as per MY wonderful, gracious, charming President. Thanks to the petition. 📋 I wouldn’t have done it without you. Oh CitizenNIKA you are thee moment. Gold Trump card free of charge.”

The White House reposted her original image, adding: “oh she's super BASED ✨”.

What is the gold card?

Trump’s gold card scheme, which launched in December, is aimed at wealthy migrants who are deemed to bring “substantial benefit” to the US. Applicants must pay a nonrefundable processing fee and a $1 million “gift” in exchange for lawful permanent resident status. Minaj’s card gives her the right to live in the US indefinitely, but it does not automatically make her a citizen.

Minaj has previously spoken about her complicated relationship with US immigration. In a 2018 Facebook post criticising family separation at the border, she wrote: “I came to this country as an illegal immigrant at five years old,” adding: “I can't imagine the horror of being in a strange place and having my parents stripped away from me at the age of five.”

As recently as last year, she told fans during a TikTok livestream: “I'm not a citizen of America. Isn't that crazy? I was born on a beautiful island called Trinidad and Tobago.”

Trump vs the music industry

Her enthusiastic backing of Trump comes as protests continue across the US following recent fatal shootings involving ICE agents. Minaj dismissed criticism of her stance, saying she would not let Trump’s opponents “get away with bullying him,” adding: “He has a lot of force behind him, and God is protecting him. Amen.”

While Minaj has aligned herself firmly with the president, other musicians have gone the opposite way. Bruce Springsteen this week released an anti-ICE song responding to violence in Minneapolis, writing: “It's dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. Stay free.”

Rapper Ice-T has also altered lyrics during live shows in protest, saying: “I'm just protesting,” and warning: “I think we're headed to some really ugly terrain.”

Pop stars including Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande have used social media to criticise ICE and the Trump administration, with Grande sharing a message that read: “ICE terrorises our cities. ICE puts us all in danger. Abolish ICE.”

Minaj, however, appears unmoved by the backlash — and increasingly comfortable in her role as one of Trump’s most high-profile celebrity supporters.