Nicki Minaj has expressed her gratitude to former President Donald Trump following his recent comments regarding military intervention in Nigeria, in response to alleged persecution of Christians. The rapper took to social media to voice her support for the president’s stance on religious freedom, stating that she felt a “deep sense of gratitude” for the ability to “freely worship God” in the United States.
In her post on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday (Nov. 1), Minaj praised Trump for “taking this seriously” and reiterated her belief that no group should ever be persecuted for practising their religion. She shared a screenshot of a post from Trump’s Truth Social account, where he called for military action in Nigeria, claiming that “radical Islamists” were targeting Christians in the West African country.
“We don’t have to share the same beliefs in order to respect each other,” Minaj wrote, adding, “Numerous countries all around the world are being affected by this horror & it’s dangerous to pretend we don’t notice.” She ended the post with, “God bless every persecuted Christian. Let’s remember to lift them up in prayer.”
Minaj’s comments come after the Trump administration re-designated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” on its list of nations deemed to have violated religious freedoms. This includes other countries such as China, North Korea, Russia, and Pakistan. In a separate post on Truth Social, Trump labelled Nigeria a “disgraced country” and vowed that if the US were to intervene, the military response would be “fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians!”
However, the Trump administration’s stance has been met with pushback from Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who disagreed with the portrayal of Nigeria as religiously intolerant. Tinubu stated that the government has been “consistent and sincere” in its efforts to safeguard religious freedoms for all Nigerians, emphasising that the characterisation of Nigeria as intolerant did not reflect the national reality.
While Trump’s comments have sparked political debate, Minaj’s post has generated mixed reactions from her followers. Some fans expressed disappointment that the hip-hop star was aligning herself with the polarising former president, with one person accusing Trump and his supporters of using religion to “weaponize” issues against certain groups. Minaj, however, reportedly fired back with a sharp response, defending her position.
Despite the controversy, Minaj’s show of support for Trump on this issue highlights her continued engagement with politically charged topics, even as she navigates public reactions to her views.