NEED TO KNOW

• Nicki Minaj posted a photo Saturday of a signed “God Bless the USA” Bible from President Trump, calling it “one of the most meaningful gifts I’ve ever received in my entire life”
• In 2018, Minaj wrote that she came to America “as an illegal immigrant” at age 5 and pleaded with the Trump administration to stop separating migrant children from their parents at the border
• The rapper’s political evolution from immigration critic to self-described “number one fan” of the president has drawn backlash from fans, fellow artists and Democrats — and raised questions about celebrity influence in an era of tribal politics

WASHINGTON, DC (TDR) — Rapper Nicki Minaj posted a photo on X Saturday of a personally signed Holy Bible from President Donald Trump, calling it “one of the most meaningful gifts I’ve ever received in my entire life.” The leather-bound “God Bless the USA” edition, created in partnership with country singer Lee Greenwood, features the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights alongside traditional scripture and retails for $1,000 in signed form.

The gift, which included a presidential pen engraved with Trump’s signature in gold, drew immediate and divided reactions — a microcosm of the broader controversy surrounding one of the most dramatic political realignments in modern celebrity culture.

“One of the most meaningful gifts I’ve ever received in my entire life.” — Nicki Minaj, on X

From “Please Stop This” to “Number One Fan”

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What makes the Bible moment noteworthy beyond celebrity gossip is the documented distance between Minaj’s current political identity and her previous positions on the same president’s policies.

In June 2018, during Trump’s first term, Minaj posted an emotional message on Instagram alongside images of children in what appeared to be an ICE detention facility. The rapper, who was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, and moved to Queens, New York, as a child, disclosed her own immigration history and directly criticized the administration:

“I came to this country as an illegal immigrant at 5 years old. I can’t imagine the horror of being in a strange place and having my parents stripped away from me at the age of 5. This is so scary to me. Please stop this. Can you try to imagine the terror and panic these kids feel right now?” — Nicki Minaj, 2018 Instagram post

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By December 2025, Minaj was onstage at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest conference in Phoenix, sharing the stage with Erika Kirk — the widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated in September 2025 — praising the president and mocking California Governor Gavin Newsom over his support for transgender youth health care.

In January 2026, Minaj appeared at the Treasury Department’s Trump Accounts Summit in Washington, declaring herself “probably the president’s number one fan” and holding hands with Trump on stage in a moment that went viral. Trump later gushed about the rapper at a Black History Month event at the White House, calling her “beautiful” and joking about her fingernails.

The shift is stark. In her own words at the Trump Accounts summit:

“I am probably the president’s number one fan. And that’s not going to change. The hate — or what people have to say — it does not affect me at all.” — Nicki Minaj, January 2026

What’s Driving the Pivot?

Minaj has offered several explanations for her political evolution, none of which fit neatly into the conventional narrative of celebrity MAGA conversions.

On the Katie Miller Podcast — hosted by the wife of Trump’s anti-immigration adviser Stephen Miller — Minaj said her support grew from watching how Trump was treated by critics. “Religious freedom is very important to me, but if I’m being honest, President Trump … when I saw how he was being treated, over and over and over, I just couldn’t handle it,” she said.

At Turning Point, Minaj connected her support to values rather than specific policies, telling the audience that Trump “has given so many people hope that there’s a chance to beat the bad guys and to win and to do it with your head held high and your integrity intact.” She emphasized their shared Queens, New York, background.

The rapper has also leaned into Christian faith as a bridge to conservative politics, sharing Trump’s Truth Social posts about violence against Christians in Nigeria and writing that the message made her feel “a deep sense of gratitude.” Her Bible post fits this framing — positioning her alignment as spiritual rather than strictly political.

Critics, however, point to other possible motivations. Former CNN anchor Don Lemon suggested publicly that Minaj’s embrace of the administration could be connected to her immigration status — the rapper has not confirmed whether she holds U.S. citizenship — or to legal issues involving family members. Minaj’s husband, Kenneth Petty, pleaded guilty in 2022 to failing to register as a sex offender. Her brother, Jelani Maraj, is serving 25 years to life for predatory sexual assault.

Minaj has not directly addressed these speculations. She did, however, receive a Trump Gold Card — which makes holders eligible for permanent residency and eventual citizenship — posting an image of it on X with the caption “Welp…”

The Backlash and Broader Debate

The political realignment has cost Minaj across multiple fronts. Slate documented how Grammy Awards host Trevor Noah drew cheers from the audience by noting her absence from the ceremony. A Change.org petition calling for her deportation has gathered over 62,000 signatures. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez characterized the move as “a formerly undocumented person turning on her own for personal gain.”

The Bible post itself generated fierce debate. Some critics noted the theological implications of signing scripture. Pastor and content creator Kyle Yates wrote: “I cannot FATHOM ever putting my signature onto the Word of God.” Others connected Trump’s autograph to his previously reported signed birthday message for convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which Trump has denied signing.

Supporters pushed back. Fans praised the gift as a generational keepsake, with one writing: “That’s an incredibly beautiful gift. One that is passed down for generations.” Trump’s allies see Minaj’s support as evidence of the president’s growing appeal among Black Americans and pop culture figures who feel alienated by what they view as liberal orthodoxy in entertainment.

The Contradiction That Matters

For TDR readers, the significance of Minaj’s evolution lies less in celebrity drama and more in what it reveals about the mechanics of political identity in 2026. Here is a woman who entered the United States as an undocumented child, built a career as one of the most commercially successful female rappers in history and is now the most prominent celebrity ally of an administration that has escalated immigration enforcement to levels that have resulted in civilian deaths and the shutdown of entire communities.

Her stated reasons — faith, empathy for Trump’s treatment, admiration for his business acumen — are the same reasons millions of Americans give for their own political choices. Her critics’ arguments — opportunism, self-interest, betrayal of community — are the same charges leveled at anyone who breaks from their expected political tribe.

What neither side seems comfortable acknowledging is that people change their minds, sometimes for coherent reasons and sometimes not, and that the celebrity-politician alliance benefits both parties in ways that have little to do with the constituencies either claims to represent.

“He’s a different human being. This is a different president. This is a different kind of leader. This is a businessman and an authentic human being.” — Nicki Minaj, at the Trump Accounts Summit

When one of America’s biggest entertainers goes from pleading “please stop this” about immigration enforcement to holding hands with the president who intensified it, does that reflect a genuine evolution in values — or does it illustrate how the machinery of political access can reshape even the most personal convictions?

Sources

This report was compiled using information from Billboard, HuffPost, The Hill, Fox News, The Hollywood Reporter, Complex, Slate, Fox 5 NY, and IBTimes.

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