Rap superstar Nicki Minaj sparked widespread controversy over the weekend after publicly thanking President Donald Trump for speaking out about violence against Christians in Nigeria, drawing both praise and fierce criticism from her fanbase on Saturday, November 1, 2025.
The “Anaconda” singer responded to Trump’s Friday Truth Social post in which he claimed Christianity faces an existential threat in the West African nation. Minaj shared a screenshot of the president’s statement, expressing what she described as a deep sense of gratitude for living in a country where she can freely worship God.
“No group should ever be persecuted for practicing their religion. We don’t have to share the same beliefs in order for us to respect each other,” Minaj wrote in her post. She added that numerous countries around the world face similar challenges and thanked the president and his team for taking the matter seriously, urging followers to lift persecuted Christians up in prayer.
Trump’s initial statement on Truth Social declared that thousands of Christians are being killed by radical Islamists in Nigeria. According to the president, the United States cannot stand by while such atrocities occur and stands ready to save the Christian population around the world.
The rap superstar’s public endorsement of Trump’s stance quickly drew attention from U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, who thanked Minaj for using her platform to speak out in defense of persecuted Christians. Waltz emphasized that the situation cannot be allowed to continue and invited the musician to meet with him at the U.S. Embassy in New York to discuss the administration’s efforts to protect Christians’ freedoms globally. Minaj responded that she would be honored to accept the invitation.
The president escalated his rhetoric in a subsequent Truth Social post, threatening to withhold aid from the Nigerian government if it continues to allow the killing of Christians. Trump indicated he has instructed the Department of Defense (also known as the Department of War) to prepare for possible military action, warning that any attack would be fast, vicious and sweet. He directed the House Appropriations Committee and other congressmen to investigate the matter and announced his intent to designate Nigeria as a country of particular concern for religious freedom violations.
Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu responded by rejecting the characterization of his nation as religiously intolerant. Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, a spokesperson for Nigeria’s foreign ministry, stated that the country remains committed to tackling violent extremism and will continue to defend all citizens regardless of race, creed, or religion. He emphasized that Nigeria respects faith, tolerance, diversity, and inclusion in accordance with the rules-based international order.
The response to Minaj’s post divided her fanbase sharply. Some supporters expressed disappointment, with one fan writing that the singer has managed to disappoint repeatedly since last year and that supporting Trump is unacceptable. Another critic pointed to the ongoing government shutdown and questioned why Minaj would use her platform to praise the president when millions of families cannot feed themselves.
When challenged by a fan who raised concerns about religious weaponization affecting LGBTQ+ individuals, Minaj defended her position forcefully. She questioned why someone would make the issue about being gay when Christians are being murdered. The singer referenced previous incidents where her home was swatted multiple times with her toddler inside, arguing that being gay could not protect her during those politically targeted events.
The controversy extends beyond social media reactions to substantive questions about the situation in Nigeria itself. The country has a population of approximately 230 million people, split nearly evenly between Muslims and Christians. Various organizations monitoring violence in the region have indicated there is no evidence that Christians are being killed at higher rates than Muslims. The nation faces security challenges from multiple sources, including the terrorist group Boko Haram, which seeks to establish radical interpretations of Islamic law and has targeted both Christians and Muslims.
Nigerian Senator Shehu Sani criticized the designation, calling it founded on outright falsehoods and wholesale misinformation. He argued that terrorists and bandits in Nigeria kill and kidnap victims irrespective of religious beliefs, with records from the past 15 years providing clear evidence. Sani suggested that Trump was misinformed by individuals aiming to benefit from division and discord.
The incident marks another instance of Minaj expressing support for Trump in recent months. In October, she praised the president in posts that trolled his 2024 election opponent Kamala Harris and retweeted a video of Trump’s granddaughter dancing to one of her songs. In a 2020 interview with Rolling Stone, Minaj acknowledged that while she understands why many people dislike Trump, what particularly bothered her was the policy of separating immigrant children from their parents at the border, recalling her own experience as an immigrant child coming to America to flee poverty.
Trump doubled down on potential military intervention during comments aboard Air Force One on Sunday, stating that military action could involve troops on the ground or air strikes, emphasizing that the administration will not allow the killing of Christians in record numbers to continue.
