Is Nicki Minaj a U.S. Citizen? Rapper's Trump Rally Appearance Raises Questions About Whether She Can Vote in the 2026 Midterms
Minaj has previously said she is not a U.S. citizen.
Oct. 27 2026, Published 2:44 p.m. ET
Nicki Minaj's appearance alongside President Donald Trump at a Michigan rally has renewed questions about her U.S. citizenship and whether she is eligible to vote in the 2026 midterm elections.
The Trinidad-born rapper joined Trump in Port Huron, Michigan, on Sunday, Oct. 25, as he campaigned for Republican candidates ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Minaj praised the president and urged supporters to back his political allies.
Minaj has previously said she was not a U.S. citizen. In January, however, she indicated that she was pursuing citizenship, writing on X that she was "Finalizing that citizenship paperwork as we speak.
What Minaj Has Said About Citizenship
In January 2026, she said she was finalizing citizenship paperwork.
During a 2024 livestream, Minaj said, "I'm not a citizen of America. Isn't that crazy?"
Her citizenship status drew renewed attention in January after she appeared with Trump at an event promoting his administration's Trump Accounts program and posted a photo of what appeared to be a Trump Gold Card.
Minaj said she received the card for free and linked it to her citizenship process. But the card did not make her a U.S. citizen.
The White House later said the item was a memento rather than an official visa document. A Homeland Security official also said Minaj had already been a lawful permanent resident for roughly two decades and was eligible to petition for citizenship.
The Gold Card itself is an immigration program designed to provide an expedited path toward an immigrant visa for qualifying applicants. It does not automatically confer U.S. citizenship.
Can Nicki Minaj Vote In The Midterm Elections?
Minaj has not publicly confirmed completing the naturalization process.
Whether Minaj can vote in the 2026 midterms depends on whether she has completed the naturalization process and become a U.S. citizen.
Federal voting rules bar noncitizens, including lawful permanent residents, from voting in federal elections. U.S. citizens who meet applicable registration and state eligibility requirements can vote.
USCIS states that an applicant is not a U.S. citizen until taking the Oath of Allegiance at a naturalization ceremony.
Minaj has not publicly confirmed that she completed that final step. As a result, there is no public confirmation that she is eligible to cast a ballot in the Nov. 3 congressional elections.
Minaj’s Immigration History
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A Trump Gold Card she displayed was described as a memento, not an immigration document.
Minaj has spoken about her immigration history in the past. In 2018, she wrote that she came to the United States from Trinidad and Tobago as an "illegal immigrant" when she was 5 years old while criticizing the Trump administration's family-separation policy.
She was raised in Queens, New York, after moving to the United States as a child. Her immigration status later became a subject of renewed attention when she discussed pursuing citizenship in connection with her support for Trump.
At Sunday's Michigan rally, Minaj publicly embraced Trump and his political agenda, telling the crowd she was honored to work with the president.
