Donald Trump praised Nicki Minaj’s “beautiful a**” as the rapper joined him on stage at a Republican campaign rally in Port Huron, Michigan.
Minaj told the crowd: “President Trump, it is an honor to stand with you every single time, and I will continue to support you forever and ever.” She added: “If you run again, I will support you again.”
Before inviting her to stand up and show off her figure, Mr Trump remarked on her backside. He had made a similar comment about Republican Ohio Senate candidate Jon Husted, saying: “I looked at his [Husted’s] a**. I’ve never done that with a man before.”
The appearance came less than two weeks before the US midterm elections, as Mr Trump campaigned for Republican candidates despite an approval rating of 36 per cent in the New York Times average cited in the source material. Some 61 per cent of respondents were reported to disapprove of his performance as president.
Minaj travelled to the rally aboard Air Force One, where she held a conversation with White House communications director Steven Cheung. Mr Cheung later posted a clip and suggested that the rapper could become the next White House press secretary following Katie Zacharia’s departure earlier this month.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I think we may have found the new White House Press Secretary!” he wrote, tagging Minaj. She shared the post with an American flag emoji and a laughing face with a bead of sweat, without confirming whether she was interested in the role.
During the conversation, Minaj praised Mr Trump’s handling of the economy, saying he was “naturally, a businessman” who had worked his way out of having no money left in the bank.
“If he can do that himself, with his own finances, surely he knows what to do with the country,” she said.
She also praised his approach to foreign policy, saying: “He’s tough internationally. He tells them what we need, not what they need.”
Minaj said the midterm election was “the most important midterm election of our lifetimes” and called for Republicans to give Mr Trump a strong team in Congress during the final two years of his term.
She specifically backed the Trump Accounts programme, which aims to provide children born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028, with a tax-advantaged investment of $1,000 from the Treasury Department. The accounts could receive up to $5,000 in annual contributions.
Speaking about the president’s work ethic, Minaj said: “The man won three elections! He wakes up at four o’clock in the morning. He outworks people who are half his age.”
“What does that say about his character? He’s paying it forward. He’s thinking about the other Republicans who have to win in this election. That tells me that he’s a great guy,” she added.
Mr Trump has increasingly used celebrity appearances during the final stages of his midterm campaign. Recent guests have included boxers Mike Tyson, Jake Paul, Floyd Mayweather and Evander Holyfield, as well as country music singer Jason Aldean.
Minaj has backed Mr Trump and Vice President JD Vance on social media this year. She also appeared alongside the president at an event promoting Trump Accounts in Washington in January, where Mr Trump praised her for investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in accounts for her supporters’ children.
At that event, Minaj said: “I am probably the president’s No. 1 fan,” adding: “And that’s not going to change.”
The Trinidadian rapper has also said she is working to obtain US citizenship.
