Nicki Minaj Joins Erika Kirk for Turning Point Q&A, Reaffirming Anti-Trans, Pro-Trump Views and, in a Faux Pas, Praising ‘the Assassin JD Vance’

During a Sunday morning dialogue at the Turning Point USA conference in Phoenix, rapper Nicki Minaj delivered a robust defense of conservative ideals. In conversation with host Erika Kirk, the artist—who rose from releasing influential mixtapes in the late 2000s to become a chart-dominating pop-rap icon—described conservative activists as "the cool kids" while outlining her personal political journey. The exchange grew notably tense, however, when Minaj referred to Vice President JD Vance as "the assassin JD Vance." This remark landed awkwardly given that Kirk's husband, Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, was injured in a shooting earlier this year. Kirk quickly moved to defuse the moment, emphasizing that "we know what’s in your heart" and redirecting focus to the intended sentiment behind the unfortunate phrasing.

Minaj, who has leveraged her substantial platform of over 22 million X (formerly Twitter) followers to advance right-leaning viewpoints, lavished praise on former President Donald Trump, calling him "handsome" and "dashing." She reiterated past criticisms of transgender issues and California Governor Gavin Newsom, repeatedly using the disparaging moniker "Newscum." The rapper also introduced a contentious perspective on racial aesthetics, contending that the cultural embrace of Black women's beauty has inadvertently led to the unfair sidelining of white women. "I don’t want what was done to little Black girls done to little white girls," she asserted, advocating that no child should feel their looks are devalued. This viewpoint found a parallel in a subsequent address by Vice President Vance, who denounced diversity programs and proclaimed an end to apologizing "for being white." Some cultural analysts suggest such rhetoric reflects a broader reaction against contemporary identity politics, framing traditional identities as under threat.

Positioning her political alignment as both an act of bravery and a legacy for her son, Minaj dismissed concerns about fan or industry backlash, a claim met with enthusiastic applause from the conference audience. She framed her current advocacy as more impactful than her past sold-out global tours, describing it as a vital "direct link for younger people" to religious faith—a connection she argues is absent from mainstream media. This culminated in a central plea for political mobilization grounded in religious identity. "We absolutely cannot let people who have a problem with us worshipping God… we cannot have them in power," she cautioned, directly blaming the Biden administration for what she perceives as institutional bias against Christians in America.

Shifting to gender norms, Minaj voiced apprehension that modern culture stigmatizes conventional masculinity in young boys. "Boys, be boys," she urged multiple times. "It’s OK. Be boys. It’s nothing wrong with being a boy." Kirk affirmed this with a fervent, "Amen. How profound is that?" This stance engages with a wider societal debate; as Dr. Elena Martinez, a sociologist specializing in gender studies, notes, "There is a measurable cultural counter-movement that seeks to reclaim and positively reframe traditional masculine virtues like leadership and stoicism, which some feel have been unfairly vilified." Minaj concluded with a stark warning, extending fears of religious persecution she has previously discussed in contexts like Nigeria to the United States. She portrayed the struggle as a spiritual war, asserting that Christian worship inherently challenges and agitates those in authority whom she believes are intent on silencing the faithful.