Rap superstar Nicki Minaj is under fire from left-leaning fans after publicly praising President Donald Trump for addressing the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
The move has sparked outrage on social media, with critics accusing her of supporting the former president.
Minaj, who has been open about her Christian faith, shared her gratitude for Trump’s statement on Truth Social.
“Reading this made me feel a deep sense of gratitude. We live in a country where we can freely worship God. No group should ever be persecuted for practicing their religion. We don’t have to share the same beliefs in order for us to respect each other,” she wrote.
Trump had posted earlier, warning of an “existential threat” to Christians in Nigeria.
“Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter,” he said. “The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria, and numerous other countries. We stand ready, willing, and able to save our great Christian population around the world!”
Minaj’s post drew immediate backlash, as the New York Post reported.
One fan tweeted, “Nicki Minaj really managed to disappoint me over and over again since last year. Sometimes her choices and the way she acts is just insane. Supporting Donald Trump is crazy.”
Another added, “Millions of families can’t feed their families today due to this government shutdown & Nicki Minaj using her platform to praise Donald Trump. What a weird a** bxtch!”
Despite the criticism, others praised Minaj for speaking out. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz publicly thanked the artist.
“We cannot allow this to continue,” he said. “Every brother and sister of Christ must band together and say, ‘Enough!’”
The humanitarian crisis in Nigeria has grown dire. Entire villages have been burned, worshippers murdered during Sunday services, and thousands displaced by Islamist extremist groups.
“Even being conservative, it’s probably 4,000 to 8,000 Christians killed annually,” said Mark Walker, Trump’s ambassador-designate for International Religious Freedom. “This has been going on for years — from ISWAP to Islamist Fulani ethnic militias — and the Nigerian government has to be much more proactive.”
Trump has vowed action. He said he directed Rep. Riley Moore (R-WV), Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) and members of the House Appropriations Committee to investigate the situation in Nigeria and report their findings.
Trump also announced plans to designate Nigeria a “country of particular concern” (CPC) under U.S. law, marking nations that have “engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom.”
“Nigeria is the most dangerous nation on Earth to follow Christ,” the House Appropriations Committee said in a statement. “Christians are actively being kidnapped, attacked, and slaughtered for simply practicing their faith. With President Trump announcing he will be redesignating Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, the United States is making clear in one resolute voice: religious persecution will not be tolerated.”
The committee emphasized that once the government shutdown ends, members will “continue moving full-year appropriations across the finish line to uphold your priorities. We know you’ll be ready at your desk with a pen in hand.”
