• White House official tells New York Times the gold card is simply a “memento,” not a visa document
• DHS sources confirm Nicki Minaj has been legal permanent resident for approximately 20 years
• Trump Gold Card program normally costs $1 million plus $15,000 processing fee

WASHINGTON, D.C. (TDR) — The gold card rapper Nicki Minaj received from President Donald Trump and flaunted on social media this week is just a “memento” with no immigration value, a White House official revealed Thursday, deflating the rapper’s claims that she received special treatment toward U.S. citizenship.

The clarification came after Minaj posted photos on X showing herself holding a gold-colored card emblazoned with Trump’s face, suggesting she had received a Trump Gold Card — the administration’s controversial fast-track immigration program that typically costs $1 million plus a $15,000 processing fee.

“All Ms. Minaj got was a gold-colored card bearing Mr. Trump’s face,” The New York Times reported. “A White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to describe the gift, said the gold card was simply a ‘memento’ rather than a ‘visa document.'”

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The revelation undercuts Minaj’s social media boasts that she received the valuable immigration benefit “free of charge” following her appearance at Trump’s Treasury Department summit Wednesday promoting child investment accounts.

Already Eligible For Citizenship Through Normal Channels

A Department of Homeland Security official told media outlets that Minaj has been a legal permanent resident for approximately 20 years, meaning she was already eligible to petition for citizenship through standard naturalization processes without any special Trump program.

The Trinidad and Tobago-born artist, who came to the United States as a child, has publicly discussed her immigration status in recent years. In a 2018 Facebook post, Minaj wrote that she “came to this country as an illegal immigrant at 5 years old” during the Trump administration’s family separation controversy.

During a 2024 TikTok livestream, Minaj expressed frustration about not being a U.S. citizen despite paying millions in taxes.

“I’m not a citizen of America. Isn’t that crazy?” she said during the stream. “You would think that with the millions of dollars that I’ve paid in taxes to this country that I would have been given an honorary citizenship many, many, many thousands of years ago.”

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However, the DHS confirmation that she has held legal permanent resident status for two decades means Minaj’s mother successfully petitioned for her children under family-based immigration pathways decades ago. Green card holders like Minaj can apply for citizenship after five years of continuous residence.

Minaj Claimed Card Obtained ‘Free Of Charge’

Following her Wednesday appearance at the Trump Accounts Summit, where she declared herself “probably the president’s No. 1 fan,” Minaj posted a photo on X with the caption “Welp…” showing what appeared to be a Trump Gold Card.

“Residency? Residency? The cope is coping,” she wrote in a follow-up post. “Finalizing that citizenship paperwork as we speak as per MY wonderful, gracious, charming President.”

She emphasized that she received the card without payment, posting: “Gold Trump card free of charge” alongside an image of the horror film character Chucky giving the middle finger.

The boastful posts generated widespread speculation about whether Minaj had received special immigration treatment in exchange for her vocal support of the Trump administration and pledge to donate between $150,000 and $300,000 to the president’s child investment accounts.

However, the White House official’s clarification to The New York Times makes clear the card was purely symbolic — essentially a promotional souvenir with Trump’s image rather than any actual immigration documentation.

Trump Gold Card Program Costs $1 Million

The actual Trump Gold Card program, established through Executive Order 14351 in September 2025, offers wealthy foreigners expedited permanent residency under existing EB-1 or EB-2 visa categories for those with “extraordinary ability.”

The program requires a $1 million contribution to the Department of Commerce plus a $15,000 processing fee to the Department of Homeland Security. Trump claimed in December that sales had already reached $1.3 billion.

The administration also plans to offer a Trump Platinum Card that allows foreign nationals to spend up to 270 days in the U.S. without paying U.S. tax on non-U.S. income, at a cost of $5 million plus the $15,000 processing fee.

Critics have condemned the program as allowing the wealthy to essentially purchase citizenship while ordinary immigrants wait years — sometimes decades — in backlogged queues.

“The program has drawn criticism from policy experts who argue it essentially allows the wealthy to purchase citizenship while ordinary immigrants wait years,” immigration analysts noted.

Legal experts have also warned that courts could still decide using Trump’s Gold Card route to citizenship is illegal because Congress has not approved it.

Minaj’s Political Transformation From Critic To MAGA Devotee

The 43-year-old rapper’s embrace of Trump represents a dramatic shift from her first term, when she criticized his immigration policies, particularly the family separation scheme that divided migrant children from their parents at the border.

In recent months, however, Minaj has rebranded herself as a MAGA supporter, calling Trump and Vice President JD Vance “role models” for young men and appearing at conservative events including Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest in December.

At the Treasury summit Wednesday, Minaj held Trump’s hand on stage while businessman Kevin O’Leary spoke, and Trump praised her as “the greatest” and “the most successful female rapper in history.”

“I just think she’s great,” Trump said, joking that he is going to let his nails grow long like hers. “I didn’t know Nicki, and I’ve been hearing over the years she’s a big Trump supporter, or Trump fan. And she took a little heat on occasion because her community isn’t necessarily a Trump fan.”

Minaj responded: “And the hate or what people have to say, it does not affect me at all. It actually motivates me to support him more, and it’s going to motivate all of us to support him more.”

She also appeared at the premiere of Melania Trump‘s documentary in Washington on Thursday, further cementing her position in MAGA circles.

Celebrity Backlash And Lost Fans

Minaj’s political transformation has cost her significant support within the entertainment industry and among her fanbase. Multiple celebrities have reportedly unfollowed her on social media as her “explosive Trump obsession” intensified.

Her appearance at Turning Point USA’s event drew sharp criticism from fans, LGBTQ advocates, and civil rights groups, particularly given Trump administration policies affecting marginalized communities.

During her AmericaFest appearance, Minaj awkwardly called Vance an “assassin” while speaking to Erika Kirk, widow of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated in September. Minaj later told audiences “it’s OK to change your mind” about political positions.

The political shift has also drawn attention to legal cases involving Minaj’s close family members. Her older brother Jelani Maraj was sentenced in 2020 to 25 years to life in prison after being convicted of repeatedly raping an 11-year-old girl.

Her husband Kenneth Petty pleaded guilty in 2020 to failing to register as a sex offender after moving to California. Petty had previously been convicted in New York of attempted rape in a separate case involving a 16-year-old.

Some observers have suggested Minaj’s alignment with Trump may be motivated by hopes of securing pardons or legal assistance for family members, though she has not confirmed such motivations.

Fox News Host Confused Minaj With Rival Cardi B

Adding an embarrassing twist to the story, Fox News host Laura Ingraham sparked mockery Thursday for confusing Minaj with her bitter rival Cardi B while discussing the Trump event.

The on-air gaffe, which Ingraham was forced to quickly correct after a producer intervened, prompted critics to ridicule the pro-Trump host for mixing up MAGA’s newly embraced favorite hip hop artist with another Black woman — who also happens to be Minaj’s longtime adversary.

Unlike Minaj, Cardi B was born in the Bronx and is a full U.S. citizen by birth. She has been a vocal critic of Trump and campaigned for Democrats in past elections.

Immigration Experts Highlight Symbolic Vs. Real Pathways

Legal and immigration experts emphasized that the White House clarification underscores the gap between symbolic gestures and actual legal pathways in immigration, especially when amplified by celebrity platforms.

“While Minaj’s social media posts suggested a breakthrough in her personal immigration journey, the White House’s description of the Gold Card as a mere souvenir reshapes the narrative,” immigration policy analysts told International Business Times.

The episode highlights concerns about celebrity influence on public perception of policy issues, particularly regarding programs like the Trump Gold Card that critics argue favor the wealthy while ordinary immigrants face extensive wait times and bureaucratic hurdles.

For ordinary immigrants without celebrity status or financial resources, the spectacle underscores the stark disparity between those who can leverage connections and those who must navigate bureaucratic processes alone.

Minaj’s longstanding green card status means she already had an existing path to naturalization, completely unrelated to the so-called Gold Card program highlighted by her social media posts. She could have applied for citizenship at any point during the past 15 years of her legal permanent residency.

Will Nicki Minaj’s political transformation and embrace of Trump’s MAGA movement continue despite the revelation that her gold card is merely a symbolic gift with no immigration value?

Sources

This report was compiled using information from The Daily Beast’s reporting on the White House clarification, The Hill’s coverage of Minaj receiving the card, Raw Story’s analysis of the memento revelation, Mediaite’s reporting on the gold card, Yahoo News coverage of Minaj’s citizenship status, International Business Times’ analysis of the White House statement, Fox 5 New York’s reporting on Minaj’s immigration background, and immigration policy analysis from Alma.

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