Nicki Minaj Blames Barack Obama, Gavin Newsom and Jay-Z for Turning Her into MAGA Republican and Donald Trump's 'Number One Fan'
Nicki Minaj has explained the reasons behind her shock MAGA allegience — and blames three big-name individuals for her switch.
May 15 2026, Published 9:13 a.m. ET
Nicki Minaj has opened up about why she has embraced MAGA politics — and blames three major figures for her shock allegiance.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the hip-hop star, 43, claims former president Barack Obama, Jay-Z and Gavin Newsom acted as a catalyst for her increasingly right-wing views.
'Lots Of Rappers Don't Like Jay-Z'
Minaj has a long-running dispute with Jay-Z.
Speaking to Time magazine, she explained that during Obama's time in office, there seemed to be an unspoken expectation that black entertainers would automatically support the Democrats.
Adding to the Starships' hitmaker’s disapproval of Obama was his friendship with Jay-Z, with whom Minaj has a long-standing rivalry over allegations that he tried to sabotage her career through his entertainment company Roc Nation's power monopoly in the industry.
Minaj said: "Jay-Z ended up costing Obama a lot, whether he knows it or not, lots of rappers don’t like Jay-Z and were afraid to say it."
Dislike Of Obama Speech Regarding Male Black Voters
Minaj was critical of Obama's speech suggesting black men don't want to see a woman in power.
Minaj further referenced a 2024 speech Obama delivered on the campaign trail for Kamala Harris, in which he suggested that some Black male voters were uncomfortable with the idea of putting a woman in power.
"I just saw so many videos of black men saying that they didn’t like the way they felt about that speech that Obama gave," the Grammy-winning artist said. "They felt like they weren’t being listened to."
Elsewhere in the interview, she revealed that she had felt pro-Trump for some time, but "didn’t dare act like that publicly" for fear of alienating fans.
"It’s been ingrained in everyone’s brain in the music business that we are supposed to be a Democratic family," she said. "I just knew they would not like me supporting Trump."
"I’ve never felt better," she added. "When you can be yourself, you’re happier."
Newsom 'Completely Ignored Me'
The hip-hop star accused Gavin Newsom of ignoring her request for support in a swatting hoax.
Minaj admitted her political stance shifted last April after she was targeted in a swatting hoax, a form of harassment where false emergency reports are used to dispatch police to an unsuspecting victim’s home.
Though the Anaconda rapper sought help from California Gov. Gavin Newsom after similar incidents in 2022 and 2023, she said she was stunned when his office never responded.
"He just completely ignored me, with all the money I spent in taxes," Minaj blasted
While she felt rejected by Newsom, Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (Fla.) did reach out to help the rapper after the 2025 swatting incident.
"I'd never seen anyone in politics treat me that way," Minaj recalled. "That's what made me say that I don’t care to keep this a secret anymore."
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Unlikely ally in the late Charlie Kirk.
Her discontent with the Democratic Party began years prior, stemming from her online skepticism about COVID-19 vaccines in 2021.
Minaj alleged that the vaccines could cause "swollen testicles," prompting outrage from followers.
An unlikely ally, the late conservative activist and co-founder of Turning Point USA, Charlie Kirk, defended her.
"Democrats’ treatment of Nicki Minaj should be all the proof you need that they don’t care about Black people, especially those they can't control," he said on social media.
"They just use them every four years for their votes. But people are waking up."
