Maybe we should have taken her more seriously when she said “I’m a republican voting for Mitt Romney.” And we might have still had our rose colored glasses on when she said “Make this ass great again, MAGA. But in light of recent events, there’s no doubt whatsoever about the rapper’s political affiliations. Nicki Minaj, of all people, has fully aligned herself with the same administration seeking to disenfranchise the very people who make up a large majority of her fanbase. Even still, “Barbz” are just as devoted as ever, excusing her slapdash behavior and labeling her as misunderstood in the process. They seem to be fully onboard with her (somewhat) abrupt change in political affiliation, despite the fact that it opposes what she herself has stood for for so many years now—and them.
Many celebrities, be it inadvertently or on purpose, cultivate these unhealthy, parasocial relationships with their fans; but what we’ve seen with Minaj and the Barbz is completely different. Throughout the years this fanbase has fervently defended Nicki, regardless of personal, popular, or expert opinion— sparing absolutely no one in the process. Minaj is different from most celebrities in that she invites the noxious behavior her fans indulge in, emboldening them to defend her at any cost. As a result, fans have attacked the families of celebrities she’s feuded with, doxxed users who have publicly opposed her, and even threatened minors who have spoken badly about the Trinidadian rapper. And it’s exactly her refusal to call out her fans— more importantly her appreciation of said fans– that has encouraged them to follow her blindly and without any apprehension.
While there was a substantial amount of backlash after her 2019 marriage to Kenneth Petty, the majority of her fanbase defended her decision— arguing that women should not have to answer for the crimes of the men in their lives. And while the statement is inarguably true, they seem to lack a basic understanding of nuance. Seldom are other people responsible for the behaviors of another, but often enough our proximity to these people serve as a reflection of our character. Like it or not, your willingness to defend sexual abuse and/or associate yourself with abusers serves as a litmus test for most people. One that Minaj simply did not pass.
And since then, we’ve all seen her slow descent into madness. The “rap beef” with Megan that preceded one full week of disturbing online rants, her subsequent allegiance to Tory Lanez, her odd (often one sided) “feuds” with Sza and Cardi, her random smear campaign against Jay Z in conjunction with her hate campaign against Desiree Perez. But as someone who once considered themselves a Nicki fan, I think what I found most shocking was her sudden pivot to politics. Sure, she shook the table in 2020 with her reservations over the highly politicized Covid-19 vaccine, (which she claimed caused her cousin’s testicle to swell to nearly twice the size). But it was like all of a sudden she ditched petty rap beefs and industry feuds for political rivalries— teaming up with the Vice President to harass Gavin Newsom online about his policies regarding trans children.. After a brief period of bootlicking and continued fangirling via the internet, she was then invited to give a UN speech regarding the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria. (FYI, there is no “persecution of Christians” in Nigeria and Nigerian officials have repeatedly debunked this statement. These same officials have spoken at length about how the oversimplification of the issue is reductive and does not provide an accurate understanding of the political unrest that their country is actively facing.) But it took practically no time for the “Barbz” to rush to her defense, labeling Minaj as a savior— research be damned. And then, just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse, she made a guest appearance at Turning Point USA with Erika Kirk.
Endorsing or helping to preserve the memory of a well known bigot and racist is inexcusable. And barbz still found a way to justify her behavior. When asked to give a message to young boys who may be listening, Nicki responded saying “boys, be boys. There’s nothing wrong with being a boy”. And yet again, either out of naivety or sheer stupidity, “Barbz” asserted that there was nothing transphobic about the comments. They began arguing with people who took offense, asking why trans women would take offense to the comment, seeing as though they are not boys. They turned to gaslighting us, as if this was not a clear case of dogwhistling. It should not be difficult to understand that context is everything, but let’s closely examine what happened on that stage. Nicki Minaj, after bashing Gavin Newsom and his support for trans youth, proceeded to make an appearance at an alt-right event hosted by a well-known transphobe, where she then regurgitated antiquated sentiments about gender. Even if we were to give her the benefit, what could that statement possibly mean to the audience at large? What would that statement mean to Erika Kirk? To the transphobic audience that they’ve garnered through their harmful rhetoric? Anyone who didn’t already support the current administration that still chose to support her after that interview is deeply confused and anyone still labeling themselves as a fan is dangerously parasocial.
For anyone with any semblance of discernment, it was immediately clear what the objective was. In fact, it almost was so obvious that it seemed too predictable to be the truth. Almost like a lazy analysis. But the proof is in the pudding. Nicki Minaj, obsessed with obtaining citizenship status, compromised her values and aligned herself with a convicted sex offender. And I don’t mean her brother…..Or her husband… (Yikes). Either way, it truly is deplorable. And the situation is unique in that up until recent years, politics wasn’t so divisive. Being a republican and voting for Mitt Romney in 2012 was far more plausible than being a Trump supporter in 2026. It’s not lost upon me that a big driving force behind this behavior is a lack of education. Generally speaking, people tend to be uninterested in politics. They know little about the federal government and even less about their local ones. Without a simple understanding of the ways in which your life is impacted by these things, you risk the freedoms and protections you take for granted. Since Trump has taken office he’s funded ICE agents to the tune of over $30 billion, moved to repeal Disparate Impact standards that help to combat racial inequality, attacked Venezuela and Nigeria, frozen billions in childcare funding, withdrawn the U.S. from the World Health Organization— I mean the list goes on and on. The point is, Donald Trump is incredibly dangerous. Acting as if supporting this man is a simple difference of opinion grossly mischaracterizes what we’re seeing happen in our country.
In closing, we have to do better at holding public figures responsible. Someone who “had to fly to Canada and sneak into the land of the free and of the brave”, pledging their support to an administration that’s been hellbent on removing immigrants from our country is….stupid, to put it plainly. The entire situation also serves as a reminder that this is not a mere difference of opinion. This is not a misunderstanding or a petty dispute that can be looked past. We are talking about people who have global impact and the ways in which they use their platforms to effect change. When lives at stake, it is completely unacceptable to excuse bigotry— or the complicity that people take on while looking past it. Whether it’s your favorite artist, actor, writer, or even your own family, you must be convicted in your moral obligations and the stances you take. Like Billy Porter said when he blew his breath all in that reporter’s face, “when people show you who they are— believe them. FUCK HER.
