Nicki Minaj Ties MAGA Turn to Obama, Jay-Z and Trump's 'Bullying' at 43

6 articles · Updated · The Independent · May 14

Time interview excerpts show Nicki Minaj saying her MAGA support grew from frustration with Barack Obama, especially what she saw as pressure on Black entertainers to back Democrats.
Jay-Z's friendship with Obama sharpened that break, she said, linking it to her long-running claim that Roc Nation tried to sabotage her career and deterred other rappers from speaking out.
Minaj also pointed to Obama's 2024 campaign speech for Kamala Harris, saying many Black men felt talked down to rather than heard.
Her support for Donald Trump, first declared publicly in January, was also driven by what she earlier described as repeated bullying and smear campaigns against him that mirrored her own experience in the music industry.
The remarks extend a broader explanation Minaj has given for her rightward shift, after previously citing Gavin Newsom and Republican support following swatting incidents.

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