Nicki Minaj says Gavin Newsom and Jay-Z are to blame for her openly supporting Trump

Among the more popular celebrities to come out as a Trump supporter is Nicki Minaj, who revealed that an interaction with Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom pushed her into the arms of the Republican president.

The rap artist said in an interview with Time that Newsom “completely ignored” her when she requested help over swatting attempts that threatened her safety.

Minaj said Luna’s help made her want to be more public about her political support for President Donald Trump.

While Minaj previously flirted with the Republican Party, she said that swatting innocents at her mansion in Los Angeles in 2022 and 2023 led her to seek help from Newsom. She posted the request on social media but said he never replied.

“He just completely ignored me, with all the money I spent in taxes,” she told Time.

Then in 2025, Minaj said she was contacted by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) after another swatting attempt. Luna connected the rapper with federal law enforcement as well as a private security firm that guards the congresswoman.

“I was shocked,” Minaj said. “I’d never seen anyone in politics treat me that way.”

Minaj said Luna’s help made her want to be more public about her political support for President Donald Trump. She also said she was put off by former President Barack Obama’s friendship with Jay-Z, the rapper and producer.

“I think Jay-Z ended up costing Obama a lot, whether he knows it or not,” she told Time. “Lots of rappers don’t like Jay-Z and were afraid to say it.”

Jay-Z’s company did not respond to a request for comment from Time.

Minaj has since made numerous public statements supporting Trump and his polices. She even appeared with Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, at a Turning Point USA event in Dec. 2025.

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“Many celebrities feel the way I do,” Minaj continued, “but they don’t say it. Sometimes you just need one brave person to get the brunt of the impact. I think I am the catalyst for that change.”

She added that she wanted to encourage others to come out of the closet with their Trump support.

“Hopefully when they see me and hear me speak and feel my energy,” she concluded, “that will make them say, ‘You know what: Who am I afraid of? What am I afraid of?'”

Minaj is one of the top-selling female rap artists in history, bested only by Cardi B, with whom Minaj is in a public feud.

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