Dec. 22, 2025
Nicki Minaj Praises Trump , Mocks Newsom, And Calls Vance An “Assassin” (In Front Of Charlie Kirk’s Widow)
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RSS Feed 12 time Grammy nominee, rapper Nicki Minaj sent jaws dropping after making a surprise appearance at the Turning Point USA conference over the weekend. Amy and T.J. discuss her relatively new and effusive support of the Trump administration along with her comments about white women owing their beauty, her beef with Gavin Newsom and that awkward moment she referred to the Vice President as an assassin.
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00:00:02
Speaker 1: Hey, folks, it is Monday, December twenty second. Gavin Newsom is scum. Jd Vance is an assassin. Donald Trump is dashing and handsome, and white women, go ahead, be proud of your white skin, your blonde hair, and your blue eyes. All of that said at the Turning Point USA conference in Phoenix. Maybe no surprise those words were uttered on stage. A surprise and even shocked to sum Is who said all that, and with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. I guess some people be surprised ropes that those words came from a very prominent African American artist at this conference.
00:00:47
Speaker 2: Yes, we're talking about rapper Nicki Minaj, who has never been shy about her words and her thoughts and what she thinks about things and people, and she certainly let it all out on stage at Turning Point USA.
00:01:01
Speaker 3: I have to say.
00:01:02
Speaker 2: I was surprised that might be an understatement and immediately wanted to do a deep dive on Wait, at what point did Nicki Minaj become a huge Trump supporter?
00:01:13
Speaker 1: It was fifteen minutes ago. It hasn't been long. She's been a long time critic of this administration of President Trump and this has just happened in recent days. I don't want to and we should start with this, she had. Everybody has their own opinions. Knock yourself out, you love President Trump, knock yourself out if you do think he's dashing in handsome, we'll share that quote here in just a second. Knock yourself out, you like his policies, knock yourself out. There is no criticism here necessarily. The surprise is who is uttering these words and where she is uttering him because ropes. We are not used to seeing a very diverse crowd in a maga crowd, that's just true. But to have this prominent of a black voice speaking like this there, Yeah, of course it got attention, Yes.
00:02:02
Speaker 3: Very much so, and it was interesting hearing her. It seemed to me.
00:02:06
Speaker 2: We both listened to her entire time on stage, and it's very much faith based.
00:02:12
Speaker 3: She is proud to be a Christian woman.
00:02:14
Speaker 2: She felt compelled, she says, to speak up and to speak out when she has been watching the Christians being persecuted in Nigeria. She saw the Trump administration was taking a stance against that. And I think that's what she claims, well, at least what she said pushed her over the edge to become more public about how she feels about this administration and being able to speak her truth and celebrate her faith and talk about where she is politically.
00:02:39
Speaker 1: And when you hear her explain and explain her life and her being a kid and going to church every week and how that kind of shaped her, you listened to her, and all those things can be very legitimate arguments. Again, no, nobody's taking her on for having her views. It still came to a lot of people a little stunning to hear some of the things, in particular having to do with white women. The thing she has, obviously she has a beef with Gavin Newsome. A lot of people are familiar with that, but she did have And the thing that got a lot of headlines is there was a pretty It was just a mistake she made, but it was a very uncomfortable mistake she made. And we'll give you the full details here in a second, but she did in speaking, she's called JD. Vance an assassin. We'll give you the context in a second, but it was just a really awkward moment.
00:03:24
Speaker 2: Look, a lot of people referred to vice presidents as bulldogs. We've definitely heard that's the role of the vice president. The president gets to be the statesman gets to be the president. The vice president is the one who's out there fighting the fights, and so I know that's where her head was. But of all words to use assassin sitting across from Erica Kirk in a crowd of folks who were there and huge obviously ardent supporters of Charlie Kirk, who was we don't even need to remind you assassinated just a few months ago.
00:03:54
Speaker 1: It was awkward, tough. We'll give you all the details there. That was. So that was it was tough. As I was looking, because I'd read it several times and several places I fast forwarded through it. It was so uncomfortable. I did not even listen to her get those words out.
00:04:09
Speaker 2: So I was actually running and was listening to it. So I wasn't watching it, but I was listening to it, and she you could tell she was mortified. I mean, there was just this silence, and I do have to give Erica Kirk credit. She she filled the space with kindness and grace and just said, I know you, I know.
00:04:27
Speaker 3: Your heart, don't worry.
00:04:28
Speaker 2: People have said the craziest things around me. You know, I know you're a child of God and God is good, and so she just she filled it up, got the crowd going supporting her, clapping, but you could tell Nicki Minaj was mortified.
00:04:41
Speaker 1: So, yeah, you were listening to it there, it will get into it. But she reacted in such a way like you felt they actually feel bad for her. Head went down. She realized she had made that mistake. But what were if You'll probably seen a lot of coverage over the weekend. Turning Point USA does his annual conference. Of course, Charlie clirk kirk first time he's not has main of course because of his death, but his wife, of course, Erica Kirk is widow, has been taking the lead now. She mentioned that in years past, Charlie Kirk was known to always bringing in a surprise guest, and she was the surprise this year. Nicki Minaj, twelve time Grammy nominee hit maker who's been doing this for fifteen plus years now, really one of the most prominent, certainly female rappers, and one of the most successful that we have seen in this particular era. She is a staple in music. She is a she's huge in the black community. She's huge in the mainstream. I think crossover a lot of ways with the lot of young women with a lot of her theme songs, right star shims. She's a big She's a big damg oh my gosh.
00:05:47
Speaker 3: Yes.
00:05:47
Speaker 1: Still, over the past recent months at least, she has been getting into it a public one side. It's spat with Governor Newsom. She has decided to take him on for whatever reason. He's not necessarily take making the bait fully, but she has got a lot to say about him. And that's how the events started when she got on stage of there Kirk.
00:06:07
Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, and look, it's it's tough because this is a conversation about a lot of it was about faith, and a lot of it was about lifting people up. And yet to then hear her and certainly we've heard Trump do the same, tear down his political rival, and not just say I don't like his policies.
00:06:25
Speaker 3: I don't like it.
00:06:26
Speaker 2: It gets mean spirited, and she was towing the Trump line on Gavin Newsom, name calling, making fun of.
00:06:35
Speaker 1: Which I'm okay with as an entertainer. Knock yourself out. I mean, don't get me wrong, I don't like it. But it's certainly if it's coming out of her mouth. I'm not as upset if it's coming out of my president's mouth. Name calling. But yes, this was in line, but it felt like Kerrik Kirk knew what she was doing and was trying to get a particular something out of it. But the first thing she had to ask her about was Governor Newsom. I guess Robes would say what set her off. It was the issue of trans Yes, yes, that Governor Newsom's his stand. She took issue with that in recent months and has been going after him pretty hard on Twitter. And Erica Kirk started out at the beginning asking her about Governor Newsom. She immediately called him new scum, but asked her to read her tweets, which she did in a very classic Nicki minaj way.
00:07:24
Speaker 2: Yes, should we read them? Tweet number one from Nicki Minaje. Imagine being the guy running on wanting to see trans kids. Haha, Not even a trans adult would run on that. Normal adults wake up and think they want to see healthy, safe, happy kids.
00:07:41
Speaker 3: Send in the next guy. I'm bored again.
00:07:44
Speaker 1: She has her doing a dramatic reading of her own tweets is what at the top, and then she had to read another one in which she said, oh, Gabby Pooh, it only gets worse from here for you, buddy. It's the end of the road for you, my love. Get on the nearest jet ski and let that beautiful hair blow in the wind. It will make you happier than this race that you will not win. Enjoy live peace. Piece on that one. This is a second one here, next one. But she was almost this is how Nicki Minaj talks, and she gets it to a lot of beefs online with a lot of people, it feels. But she's a rapper, it's what she does, and a good writer and a pretty good poet. But her tone and that she's insulting you but giving you a cold Gabby pooh kind of a thing. But she read though. That's how they started, now or robes. They continued along. How long did they take? She was only up there thirty minutes and they spent the first what on Gavin Newsom?
00:08:32
Speaker 2: Gavin Newsom, I feel like dominated at least the first third, maybe even half of the conversation that she had. And look, they know what they're doing, they know that they already have they're already setting setting the path forward for the Republicans. We've already heard Erica Kirk say that she is supporting jd Vance to be the twenty twenty eight Republican I guess the candidate, and so, yes, we all know Gavin Newsom right now is a front runner on the Democratic side, So yeah, why not go ahead and take aim at your biggest political rival on that stage.
00:09:04
Speaker 3: That's exactly what they were doing with.
00:09:06
Speaker 1: A name that many people didn't expect necessarily be up there doing.
00:09:10
Speaker 2: So what has there been reaction in the black community about what Nicki Minaj had to say or about her support for President Trump.
00:09:16
Speaker 1: There's reaction, There's sometimes the rolling of the eyes, but sometimes people can be Look, Nicki Minaj has had a foothole. She has been very much successful because of a lot of black support she has gotten. Maybe a lot of people don't understand know her views, but to some black folks this will feel like there's this idea in the black community that you can't be a couple of things. You can't be a Republican and when I was growing up, you can't be gay. Those are two things you're always told. So to hear someone still those old ideas of you just automatically see a black person and you can't be a Republican or a conservative. That's silly. Obviously that's silly. But still she came out and was so effusive in her praise of this president in a way that has people scratching their heads and wondering if she up to something else, because there's no way she can believe the shit's coming out of our mouth.
00:10:05
Speaker 3: Really yeah, wow.
00:10:07
Speaker 1: She's got Is this a play for trying to get that support, trying to stay relevant, trying to do so. That are the accusations that will remain out there, but I mean, I want to leave open the possibility that she is sincere in what she's doing. But when she was asked about the president and vice president, what are the things you have learned about these two? This is where it gets into when you hear the answer like wait.
00:10:29
Speaker 2: What Yes, this was probably the most shocking to your point what you just said. This is the perfect setup for her answer. Nicki Minasch said, I have the utmost respect and administration, sorry, admiration for our president.
00:10:44
Speaker 3: Boom, huge applause.
00:10:46
Speaker 2: He's given so many people hope that there is a chance to beat the bad guys and to win, and to do it with your head held high and your integrity intact.
00:10:57
Speaker 1: That's what she believes, is what she believes. Did you look at that? And for a lot of people, I don't know, just folks will have a difficult time understanding how she gets there, and I guess you have to. She has every right to her opinion, of course, but we're just not used to this type of strong, full throated support coming from such a prominent member of the black community.
00:11:22
Speaker 2: Yes, and also it should be of note that Nicki Minaj, I mean we've talked, we brushed on a little bit, used to be very critical of the Trump administration, and namely one of her big beefs was she came to this country as an illegal.
00:11:36
Speaker 1: Immigrant Trinidad at Tobago.
00:11:38
Speaker 2: So she understands, in a way a lot of us cannot what it's like to be in this country illegally, and so that was part of you. So it's it's interesting to see this massive transformation this one eighty. She had lyrics about Trump and some of her earlier music so anti Trump. So it's interesting to see her come around and not just say you know what, I get what he's doing.
00:12:02
Speaker 3: I appreciate what he's doing.
00:12:04
Speaker 2: His policies might not be for everybody, but I understand she is being effusive to the point where it's head scratching.
00:12:10
Speaker 1: Again, she said. She mentioned at some point here she said people can change their minds, and that's true. That is absolutely truth. This is a this is a hell of a one eighty in a very short period of time. She went on, The administration is full of people with heart and soul, and they make me proud of them. Again, I don't think she has a relationship with the White House. I don't think she knows them personally. But that is a strong statement. The next one there, that's that's one that's hard for some people to get their head around, especially coming out of the mouth of a black woman.
00:12:42
Speaker 2: She says, they have an uncanny ability to be someone that you relate to. I can relate to them when I hear them speak, I know that they're one of us.
00:12:53
Speaker 1: Okay, she's speaking through her experience, sure, I suppose, and based on what her life has been she might look at them and say, I can relate. I can tell they're one of us, like me. Nicki Minaj. We didn't know as a community that Nicki Minaje regarded herself like that. I didn't know she would ever look, and I didn't know that. I'm learning a lot about her in this and again I am fully taking her at her word and being sincere at everything she said.
00:13:22
Speaker 2: Yep, and talking about the administration, she went on to say, they have the ability to still connect and be real and make us feel proud to be an American. And look, Erica kirk asked her directly about backlash from her industry. She didn't say community, but she's at industry and certainly that's the music industry, which tends to largely be perhaps more on the side of liberal politics versus conservative. So she actually I actually liked her answer, and it set Erica Kirk off too, and they had a very fun connective moment when she asked, you're getting backlash from your own industry.
00:14:01
Speaker 3: What's your reaction to that?
00:14:03
Speaker 2: Nicki minaj very quickly and confidently said, I didn't notice.
00:14:07
Speaker 1: It was my favorite moment. First, I liked it all typical Nikki right there. That was good stuff. That was good stuff.
00:14:13
Speaker 2: Look, she seemed incredibly authentic. You know, I don't know her that, well, I haven't. I haven't watched her that. I mean, obviously I love her music and I know of her, but listening to her it all, it didn't seem performative. It seemed as if she was speaking to the heart. That's just that was my initial impression.
00:14:30
Speaker 1: I didn't find much of it. I didn't find her necessarily putting on a different tone to her, given I'm used to her in different circles hip hop circles. Yes, different language, it's totally different. But she was I to your I would absolutely suggest the same. Now, the thing, there were a couple of things that really really got a lot of people's attention. We mentioned at the top. There were two in particular rope. She was asked about motherhood and young boys and young girls, and she gave an answer having to do with one white women and white girls shouldn't be shy and should speak up and be proud of their beauty. That was one. But the other big issue I got a lot of headlines is because it was a sincere gaff in which she called J. D Vance an assassin, and she said it sitting only feet away from Erica Kirk. Stay here, we'll explain both of those moments.
00:15:36
Speaker 3: Welcome back everyone.
00:15:37
Speaker 2: We are talking about Nicki Minaj making a big old splash at Turning Point USA. She was a surprise guest of Erica Kirk's and she surprised a lot of us, in fact, well at large, a large percentage of the population.
00:15:52
Speaker 3: The headlines you can see them this morning.
00:15:54
Speaker 2: People are not only surprised that Nicki Minaj was so support of President Trump and his administration and very just the effusive actually in her descriptions of them, but also what she had to say about Jade Vance and also about what she had to say about white women.
00:16:14
Speaker 3: I have to say my ears perked up.
00:16:15
Speaker 2: I mentioned I was running and I was listening to this while and that part obviously really got my attention.
00:16:21
Speaker 3: It is not something that I was expecting to hear.
00:16:24
Speaker 1: And this is what she said. She was asked, particularly, asked about motherhood, asked about a message she maybe had to young girls and young boys, and she started by talking about young girls, saying, quote, if as if as black women, we felt as if we were not being represented and not being admired for our beauty. If we felt like that as black women, why would we want to do that to other women. Why would we now need to make other people downplay their beauty. That's not how it works. I don't need someone with blonde hair and blue eyes to downplay their beauty because I know my beauty. It doesn't bother me that a woman feels and says that she is beautiful. Why wouldn't she feel that? Why have we gotten to the point where certain colors or certain kinds of people have to be afraid of loving themselves and the way they look. I'm gonna stop right there for a second. Es I mean, she's yes, I agree with just about all that.
00:17:18
Speaker 2: I agree with everything she said. I appreciated that she said it, and all my mind went straight to with Sidney Sweeney. I was thinking, and maybe I'm wrong, but I was thinking that she might be loosely referencing that or using what happened to Sidney Sweeney as the taking off point to talk about let's let people be able to celebrate who they are and what they look like, no matter what race they are.
00:17:41
Speaker 1: Here's the thing I agree with all of that. It lacked context, and it lacked context that most black women immediately and hearing that were probably shouting at the TV when they heard it because there is context to what we are saying. Yes, every woman should embrace their beauty, their unique whatever it may be, the hair color, that color, the hip side, whatever it may be. The problem is that too many other folks that are in control of advertising, how we see ourselves, think about ourselves, the money we spend, the money we make, who gets hired and fired is based on a standard of beauty that belongs exclusively to white women. That is the context that was missing in there. But I can't we should all agree with that sentiment. Yes, one hundred percent, I agree.
00:18:29
Speaker 2: She went on to say, I don't want what was done to little black girls done to little white girls. I want all little girls in the world to know that you are unique, you are beautiful. You can compliment another girl, another woman, and still know you are epic and amazing. And I appreciate your point what you just said, the context that was missing, but I also appreciate the fact that she said that.
00:18:53
Speaker 3: I do think that it does create.
00:18:54
Speaker 2: An opportunity for a conversation to be had that when you start with that premise, then you can get into those other details where I think people might be more willing to go I see what you mean.
00:19:04
Speaker 3: I see what you mean.
00:19:05
Speaker 2: Because they feel heard, or they feel seen, or they at least feel recognized that there is this idea that everybody should be treated and that's this perfect world with a certain level of respect. But yes, that context is necessary, that there is a reason why some voices need to be heard more than others, at least given the history and the current situation.
00:19:30
Speaker 1: I mean, this is like red meat to a particular crowd. But it would have been really easy if President Trump was delivering the same he would have said it in a different way. And some conservatives say it differently. But you're just saying none wrong with being white. Yeah, white is awesome. She's not saying it that way. But she's saying, yes, who Sidney, you white girl, you, Hispanic girl, you Asian girl, everybody.
00:19:56
Speaker 3: Yeah, she actually called out all She actually said all of those.
00:19:59
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:20:00
Speaker 1: And here is the this take us now to what was the awkward, most uncomfortable and unfortunate moment. Really, she's trying to make a statement there and trying to be complimentary to the White House and to the administration into some officials, and she just misspoke. I was wondering if she misspoke. On the first part of this, in which she was complimenting President Trump, she made a little face. She was being cute. But you read that and you're like, come on, Nikki, really not to say he's not a dashing and handsome man.
00:20:29
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's weird because she was making fun of Gavin Newsom for his you know, his hair and his dashing good looks. I think she even said, you think your tom cruise except your next mission is impossible.
00:20:40
Speaker 3: You know, she was saying all of that.
00:20:42
Speaker 2: So, yes, this was interesting because Erica Kirk said, look, I'm the mother of boys. You have boys, please speak to young men as well, And so Nicki Minaj said, as for young men, don't be new scum young men. You have amazing role models like our handsome, dashing president, and you have amazing role models like the assassin jd Vance.
00:21:11
Speaker 1: It's tough. And she almost immediately she stopped. She stopped, and you were listening. I was looking at her. She stopped and just looked mortified. I mean, she didn't completely emote with her face. It just went I mean, if she wasn't black, it might have gone white, like just pale in that moment. And she put her hand up and put it over her mouth, and she was so I think she was so embarrassed because she know who she's sitting in front of, right, and she knew that moment and Erica, this is one you said it Robes. Give Erica Kirk credit for just trying to help her out of really an impossible situation. She just used the word assassin in front of Erica Kirk.
00:21:53
Speaker 3: Yeah.
00:21:54
Speaker 2: And unfortunately, for at least Nicki Minaj, anything that she was trying to say or do or be come a part of, or change the narrative up, it didn't matter because every single headline today was about that. And you know what, Look, anyone who has been in the public, anyone who has spoken publicly or even repeatedly, has had to you are going to make a mistake.
00:22:15
Speaker 3: You are going to say something you didn't mean to say. A word could slip out that you didn't mean. All of that can happen.
00:22:21
Speaker 2: So my heart went out to her in that moment because it was an honest, genuine mistake.
00:22:27
Speaker 3: She did not mean to use that one.
00:22:28
Speaker 1: It was just an unfortunate one. And look, it's looks she's a rapper in hip hop. The slang is thrown around plenty, calling somebody ass it's a compliment. He's a at a term, he's a killer. Yeah, you can go after and eliminate targets. He's an assassin, right, That language is thrown around. She was using. Possibly that's where her head was. Who knows what was going on up there, but she knows it was the wrong word. Look, I appreciate I will say this about black folk. I do not like, and we don't like when other folks outside of our community try to box us in and say we're all this or we're all that, and we all like this music, I like this politics, I like this church, or like whatever. Maybe we hate that. So I also equally hate when black folks put each other into a box to where we can't have a diversity of ideas, like how dare you support that president? How dare you have that view on that issue? So I look, you can think what you want about Nicki Minaj, but I just I don't like dismissing people just because their views aren't necessarily exactly what somebody thinks should be in line with the African American community. And how can you support this guy giving what he's done to the minority communities, all those things. We can have that debate. I just don't think folks should be dismissed immediately just because you might have a view that's not like the rest. So for that, I will at least give Nicki Minage credit for having us have this conversation. Other people say, y'all are nuts. She's just doing this trying to remain relevant, or she wants something, or she's trying something their sinx.
00:24:02
Speaker 2: Well, I appreciate what you just said, because I think if more people can have that attitude about all the different opinions they have and just because someone may look a certain way, it doesn't mean we can assume they think a certain way. And I think that's a really good way to go about life, actually, and to give people that credit and give them that right to have their own, unique formed opinions that don't have to fall in line with where they were born, where they were from, with the color of their skin, is what part of the country they live in. We can all we all have the right to think and believe what we think is best for ourselves and our families. And so for that, yes, Nicki Minaj stood up and she owned it.
00:24:38
Speaker 1: We shall see. I'm very curious to see what happens with her moving forward. This is in her heart, but yeah, it is just because of who it is and what she looks like and is not the norm when it comes to supporting this president.
00:24:50
Speaker 2: It got too much, all right, And with that everyone, thank you for listening to us. I'm maybe Roebuck alongside TJ.
00:24:56
Speaker 3: Holmes. We'll talk to you soon.
Speaker 1: Hey, folks, it is Monday, December twenty second. Gavin Newsom is scum. Jd Vance is an assassin. Donald Trump is dashing and handsome, and white women, go ahead, be proud of your white skin, your blonde hair, and your blue eyes. All of that said at the Turning Point USA conference in Phoenix. Maybe no surprise those words were uttered on stage. A surprise and even shocked to sum Is who said all that, and with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. I guess some people be surprised ropes that those words came from a very prominent African American artist at this conference.
00:00:47
Speaker 2: Yes, we're talking about rapper Nicki Minaj, who has never been shy about her words and her thoughts and what she thinks about things and people, and she certainly let it all out on stage at Turning Point USA.
00:01:01
Speaker 3: I have to say.
00:01:02
Speaker 2: I was surprised that might be an understatement and immediately wanted to do a deep dive on Wait, at what point did Nicki Minaj become a huge Trump supporter?
00:01:13
Speaker 1: It was fifteen minutes ago. It hasn't been long. She's been a long time critic of this administration of President Trump and this has just happened in recent days. I don't want to and we should start with this, she had. Everybody has their own opinions. Knock yourself out, you love President Trump, knock yourself out if you do think he's dashing in handsome, we'll share that quote here in just a second. Knock yourself out, you like his policies, knock yourself out. There is no criticism here necessarily. The surprise is who is uttering these words and where she is uttering him because ropes. We are not used to seeing a very diverse crowd in a maga crowd, that's just true. But to have this prominent of a black voice speaking like this there, Yeah, of course it got attention, Yes.
00:02:02
Speaker 3: Very much so, and it was interesting hearing her. It seemed to me.
00:02:06
Speaker 2: We both listened to her entire time on stage, and it's very much faith based.
00:02:12
Speaker 3: She is proud to be a Christian woman.
00:02:14
Speaker 2: She felt compelled, she says, to speak up and to speak out when she has been watching the Christians being persecuted in Nigeria. She saw the Trump administration was taking a stance against that. And I think that's what she claims, well, at least what she said pushed her over the edge to become more public about how she feels about this administration and being able to speak her truth and celebrate her faith and talk about where she is politically.
00:02:39
Speaker 1: And when you hear her explain and explain her life and her being a kid and going to church every week and how that kind of shaped her, you listened to her, and all those things can be very legitimate arguments. Again, no, nobody's taking her on for having her views. It still came to a lot of people a little stunning to hear some of the things, in particular having to do with white women. The thing she has, obviously she has a beef with Gavin Newsome. A lot of people are familiar with that, but she did have And the thing that got a lot of headlines is there was a pretty It was just a mistake she made, but it was a very uncomfortable mistake she made. And we'll give you the full details here in a second, but she did in speaking, she's called JD. Vance an assassin. We'll give you the context in a second, but it was just a really awkward moment.
00:03:24
Speaker 2: Look, a lot of people referred to vice presidents as bulldogs. We've definitely heard that's the role of the vice president. The president gets to be the statesman gets to be the president. The vice president is the one who's out there fighting the fights, and so I know that's where her head was. But of all words to use assassin sitting across from Erica Kirk in a crowd of folks who were there and huge obviously ardent supporters of Charlie Kirk, who was we don't even need to remind you assassinated just a few months ago.
00:03:54
Speaker 1: It was awkward, tough. We'll give you all the details there. That was. So that was it was tough. As I was looking, because I'd read it several times and several places I fast forwarded through it. It was so uncomfortable. I did not even listen to her get those words out.
00:04:09
Speaker 2: So I was actually running and was listening to it. So I wasn't watching it, but I was listening to it, and she you could tell she was mortified. I mean, there was just this silence, and I do have to give Erica Kirk credit. She she filled the space with kindness and grace and just said, I know you, I know.
00:04:27
Speaker 3: Your heart, don't worry.
00:04:28
Speaker 2: People have said the craziest things around me. You know, I know you're a child of God and God is good, and so she just she filled it up, got the crowd going supporting her, clapping, but you could tell Nicki Minaj was mortified.
00:04:41
Speaker 1: So, yeah, you were listening to it there, it will get into it. But she reacted in such a way like you felt they actually feel bad for her. Head went down. She realized she had made that mistake. But what were if You'll probably seen a lot of coverage over the weekend. Turning Point USA does his annual conference. Of course, Charlie clirk kirk first time he's not has main of course because of his death, but his wife, of course, Erica Kirk is widow, has been taking the lead now. She mentioned that in years past, Charlie Kirk was known to always bringing in a surprise guest, and she was the surprise this year. Nicki Minaj, twelve time Grammy nominee hit maker who's been doing this for fifteen plus years now, really one of the most prominent, certainly female rappers, and one of the most successful that we have seen in this particular era. She is a staple in music. She is a she's huge in the black community. She's huge in the mainstream. I think crossover a lot of ways with the lot of young women with a lot of her theme songs, right star shims. She's a big She's a big damg oh my gosh.
00:05:47
Speaker 3: Yes.
00:05:47
Speaker 1: Still, over the past recent months at least, she has been getting into it a public one side. It's spat with Governor Newsom. She has decided to take him on for whatever reason. He's not necessarily take making the bait fully, but she has got a lot to say about him. And that's how the events started when she got on stage of there Kirk.
00:06:07
Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, and look, it's it's tough because this is a conversation about a lot of it was about faith, and a lot of it was about lifting people up. And yet to then hear her and certainly we've heard Trump do the same, tear down his political rival, and not just say I don't like his policies.
00:06:25
Speaker 3: I don't like it.
00:06:26
Speaker 2: It gets mean spirited, and she was towing the Trump line on Gavin Newsom, name calling, making fun of.
00:06:35
Speaker 1: Which I'm okay with as an entertainer. Knock yourself out. I mean, don't get me wrong, I don't like it. But it's certainly if it's coming out of her mouth. I'm not as upset if it's coming out of my president's mouth. Name calling. But yes, this was in line, but it felt like Kerrik Kirk knew what she was doing and was trying to get a particular something out of it. But the first thing she had to ask her about was Governor Newsom. I guess Robes would say what set her off. It was the issue of trans Yes, yes, that Governor Newsom's his stand. She took issue with that in recent months and has been going after him pretty hard on Twitter. And Erica Kirk started out at the beginning asking her about Governor Newsom. She immediately called him new scum, but asked her to read her tweets, which she did in a very classic Nicki minaj way.
00:07:24
Speaker 2: Yes, should we read them? Tweet number one from Nicki Minaje. Imagine being the guy running on wanting to see trans kids. Haha, Not even a trans adult would run on that. Normal adults wake up and think they want to see healthy, safe, happy kids.
00:07:41
Speaker 3: Send in the next guy. I'm bored again.
00:07:44
Speaker 1: She has her doing a dramatic reading of her own tweets is what at the top, and then she had to read another one in which she said, oh, Gabby Pooh, it only gets worse from here for you, buddy. It's the end of the road for you, my love. Get on the nearest jet ski and let that beautiful hair blow in the wind. It will make you happier than this race that you will not win. Enjoy live peace. Piece on that one. This is a second one here, next one. But she was almost this is how Nicki Minaj talks, and she gets it to a lot of beefs online with a lot of people, it feels. But she's a rapper, it's what she does, and a good writer and a pretty good poet. But her tone and that she's insulting you but giving you a cold Gabby pooh kind of a thing. But she read though. That's how they started, now or robes. They continued along. How long did they take? She was only up there thirty minutes and they spent the first what on Gavin Newsom?
00:08:32
Speaker 2: Gavin Newsom, I feel like dominated at least the first third, maybe even half of the conversation that she had. And look, they know what they're doing, they know that they already have they're already setting setting the path forward for the Republicans. We've already heard Erica Kirk say that she is supporting jd Vance to be the twenty twenty eight Republican I guess the candidate, and so, yes, we all know Gavin Newsom right now is a front runner on the Democratic side, So yeah, why not go ahead and take aim at your biggest political rival on that stage.
00:09:04
Speaker 3: That's exactly what they were doing with.
00:09:06
Speaker 1: A name that many people didn't expect necessarily be up there doing.
00:09:10
Speaker 2: So what has there been reaction in the black community about what Nicki Minaj had to say or about her support for President Trump.
00:09:16
Speaker 1: There's reaction, There's sometimes the rolling of the eyes, but sometimes people can be Look, Nicki Minaj has had a foothole. She has been very much successful because of a lot of black support she has gotten. Maybe a lot of people don't understand know her views, but to some black folks this will feel like there's this idea in the black community that you can't be a couple of things. You can't be a Republican and when I was growing up, you can't be gay. Those are two things you're always told. So to hear someone still those old ideas of you just automatically see a black person and you can't be a Republican or a conservative. That's silly. Obviously that's silly. But still she came out and was so effusive in her praise of this president in a way that has people scratching their heads and wondering if she up to something else, because there's no way she can believe the shit's coming out of our mouth.
00:10:05
Speaker 3: Really yeah, wow.
00:10:07
Speaker 1: She's got Is this a play for trying to get that support, trying to stay relevant, trying to do so. That are the accusations that will remain out there, but I mean, I want to leave open the possibility that she is sincere in what she's doing. But when she was asked about the president and vice president, what are the things you have learned about these two? This is where it gets into when you hear the answer like wait.
00:10:29
Speaker 2: What Yes, this was probably the most shocking to your point what you just said. This is the perfect setup for her answer. Nicki Minasch said, I have the utmost respect and administration, sorry, admiration for our president.
00:10:44
Speaker 3: Boom, huge applause.
00:10:46
Speaker 2: He's given so many people hope that there is a chance to beat the bad guys and to win, and to do it with your head held high and your integrity intact.
00:10:57
Speaker 1: That's what she believes, is what she believes. Did you look at that? And for a lot of people, I don't know, just folks will have a difficult time understanding how she gets there, and I guess you have to. She has every right to her opinion, of course, but we're just not used to this type of strong, full throated support coming from such a prominent member of the black community.
00:11:22
Speaker 2: Yes, and also it should be of note that Nicki Minaj, I mean we've talked, we brushed on a little bit, used to be very critical of the Trump administration, and namely one of her big beefs was she came to this country as an illegal.
00:11:36
Speaker 1: Immigrant Trinidad at Tobago.
00:11:38
Speaker 2: So she understands, in a way a lot of us cannot what it's like to be in this country illegally, and so that was part of you. So it's it's interesting to see this massive transformation this one eighty. She had lyrics about Trump and some of her earlier music so anti Trump. So it's interesting to see her come around and not just say you know what, I get what he's doing.
00:12:02
Speaker 3: I appreciate what he's doing.
00:12:04
Speaker 2: His policies might not be for everybody, but I understand she is being effusive to the point where it's head scratching.
00:12:10
Speaker 1: Again, she said. She mentioned at some point here she said people can change their minds, and that's true. That is absolutely truth. This is a this is a hell of a one eighty in a very short period of time. She went on, The administration is full of people with heart and soul, and they make me proud of them. Again, I don't think she has a relationship with the White House. I don't think she knows them personally. But that is a strong statement. The next one there, that's that's one that's hard for some people to get their head around, especially coming out of the mouth of a black woman.
00:12:42
Speaker 2: She says, they have an uncanny ability to be someone that you relate to. I can relate to them when I hear them speak, I know that they're one of us.
00:12:53
Speaker 1: Okay, she's speaking through her experience, sure, I suppose, and based on what her life has been she might look at them and say, I can relate. I can tell they're one of us, like me. Nicki Minaj. We didn't know as a community that Nicki Minaje regarded herself like that. I didn't know she would ever look, and I didn't know that. I'm learning a lot about her in this and again I am fully taking her at her word and being sincere at everything she said.
00:13:22
Speaker 2: Yep, and talking about the administration, she went on to say, they have the ability to still connect and be real and make us feel proud to be an American. And look, Erica kirk asked her directly about backlash from her industry. She didn't say community, but she's at industry and certainly that's the music industry, which tends to largely be perhaps more on the side of liberal politics versus conservative. So she actually I actually liked her answer, and it set Erica Kirk off too, and they had a very fun connective moment when she asked, you're getting backlash from your own industry.
00:14:01
Speaker 3: What's your reaction to that?
00:14:03
Speaker 2: Nicki minaj very quickly and confidently said, I didn't notice.
00:14:07
Speaker 1: It was my favorite moment. First, I liked it all typical Nikki right there. That was good stuff. That was good stuff.
00:14:13
Speaker 2: Look, she seemed incredibly authentic. You know, I don't know her that, well, I haven't. I haven't watched her that. I mean, obviously I love her music and I know of her, but listening to her it all, it didn't seem performative. It seemed as if she was speaking to the heart. That's just that was my initial impression.
00:14:30
Speaker 1: I didn't find much of it. I didn't find her necessarily putting on a different tone to her, given I'm used to her in different circles hip hop circles. Yes, different language, it's totally different. But she was I to your I would absolutely suggest the same. Now, the thing, there were a couple of things that really really got a lot of people's attention. We mentioned at the top. There were two in particular rope. She was asked about motherhood and young boys and young girls, and she gave an answer having to do with one white women and white girls shouldn't be shy and should speak up and be proud of their beauty. That was one. But the other big issue I got a lot of headlines is because it was a sincere gaff in which she called J. D Vance an assassin, and she said it sitting only feet away from Erica Kirk. Stay here, we'll explain both of those moments.
00:15:36
Speaker 3: Welcome back everyone.
00:15:37
Speaker 2: We are talking about Nicki Minaj making a big old splash at Turning Point USA. She was a surprise guest of Erica Kirk's and she surprised a lot of us, in fact, well at large, a large percentage of the population.
00:15:52
Speaker 3: The headlines you can see them this morning.
00:15:54
Speaker 2: People are not only surprised that Nicki Minaj was so support of President Trump and his administration and very just the effusive actually in her descriptions of them, but also what she had to say about Jade Vance and also about what she had to say about white women.
00:16:14
Speaker 3: I have to say my ears perked up.
00:16:15
Speaker 2: I mentioned I was running and I was listening to this while and that part obviously really got my attention.
00:16:21
Speaker 3: It is not something that I was expecting to hear.
00:16:24
Speaker 1: And this is what she said. She was asked, particularly, asked about motherhood, asked about a message she maybe had to young girls and young boys, and she started by talking about young girls, saying, quote, if as if as black women, we felt as if we were not being represented and not being admired for our beauty. If we felt like that as black women, why would we want to do that to other women. Why would we now need to make other people downplay their beauty. That's not how it works. I don't need someone with blonde hair and blue eyes to downplay their beauty because I know my beauty. It doesn't bother me that a woman feels and says that she is beautiful. Why wouldn't she feel that? Why have we gotten to the point where certain colors or certain kinds of people have to be afraid of loving themselves and the way they look. I'm gonna stop right there for a second. Es I mean, she's yes, I agree with just about all that.
00:17:18
Speaker 2: I agree with everything she said. I appreciated that she said it, and all my mind went straight to with Sidney Sweeney. I was thinking, and maybe I'm wrong, but I was thinking that she might be loosely referencing that or using what happened to Sidney Sweeney as the taking off point to talk about let's let people be able to celebrate who they are and what they look like, no matter what race they are.
00:17:41
Speaker 1: Here's the thing I agree with all of that. It lacked context, and it lacked context that most black women immediately and hearing that were probably shouting at the TV when they heard it because there is context to what we are saying. Yes, every woman should embrace their beauty, their unique whatever it may be, the hair color, that color, the hip side, whatever it may be. The problem is that too many other folks that are in control of advertising, how we see ourselves, think about ourselves, the money we spend, the money we make, who gets hired and fired is based on a standard of beauty that belongs exclusively to white women. That is the context that was missing in there. But I can't we should all agree with that sentiment. Yes, one hundred percent, I agree.
00:18:29
Speaker 2: She went on to say, I don't want what was done to little black girls done to little white girls. I want all little girls in the world to know that you are unique, you are beautiful. You can compliment another girl, another woman, and still know you are epic and amazing. And I appreciate your point what you just said, the context that was missing, but I also appreciate the fact that she said that.
00:18:53
Speaker 3: I do think that it does create.
00:18:54
Speaker 2: An opportunity for a conversation to be had that when you start with that premise, then you can get into those other details where I think people might be more willing to go I see what you mean.
00:19:04
Speaker 3: I see what you mean.
00:19:05
Speaker 2: Because they feel heard, or they feel seen, or they at least feel recognized that there is this idea that everybody should be treated and that's this perfect world with a certain level of respect. But yes, that context is necessary, that there is a reason why some voices need to be heard more than others, at least given the history and the current situation.
00:19:30
Speaker 1: I mean, this is like red meat to a particular crowd. But it would have been really easy if President Trump was delivering the same he would have said it in a different way. And some conservatives say it differently. But you're just saying none wrong with being white. Yeah, white is awesome. She's not saying it that way. But she's saying, yes, who Sidney, you white girl, you, Hispanic girl, you Asian girl, everybody.
00:19:56
Speaker 3: Yeah, she actually called out all She actually said all of those.
00:19:59
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:20:00
Speaker 1: And here is the this take us now to what was the awkward, most uncomfortable and unfortunate moment. Really, she's trying to make a statement there and trying to be complimentary to the White House and to the administration into some officials, and she just misspoke. I was wondering if she misspoke. On the first part of this, in which she was complimenting President Trump, she made a little face. She was being cute. But you read that and you're like, come on, Nikki, really not to say he's not a dashing and handsome man.
00:20:29
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's weird because she was making fun of Gavin Newsom for his you know, his hair and his dashing good looks. I think she even said, you think your tom cruise except your next mission is impossible.
00:20:40
Speaker 3: You know, she was saying all of that.
00:20:42
Speaker 2: So, yes, this was interesting because Erica Kirk said, look, I'm the mother of boys. You have boys, please speak to young men as well, And so Nicki Minaj said, as for young men, don't be new scum young men. You have amazing role models like our handsome, dashing president, and you have amazing role models like the assassin jd Vance.
00:21:11
Speaker 1: It's tough. And she almost immediately she stopped. She stopped, and you were listening. I was looking at her. She stopped and just looked mortified. I mean, she didn't completely emote with her face. It just went I mean, if she wasn't black, it might have gone white, like just pale in that moment. And she put her hand up and put it over her mouth, and she was so I think she was so embarrassed because she know who she's sitting in front of, right, and she knew that moment and Erica, this is one you said it Robes. Give Erica Kirk credit for just trying to help her out of really an impossible situation. She just used the word assassin in front of Erica Kirk.
00:21:53
Speaker 3: Yeah.
00:21:54
Speaker 2: And unfortunately, for at least Nicki Minaj, anything that she was trying to say or do or be come a part of, or change the narrative up, it didn't matter because every single headline today was about that. And you know what, Look, anyone who has been in the public, anyone who has spoken publicly or even repeatedly, has had to you are going to make a mistake.
00:22:15
Speaker 3: You are going to say something you didn't mean to say. A word could slip out that you didn't mean. All of that can happen.
00:22:21
Speaker 2: So my heart went out to her in that moment because it was an honest, genuine mistake.
00:22:27
Speaker 3: She did not mean to use that one.
00:22:28
Speaker 1: It was just an unfortunate one. And look, it's looks she's a rapper in hip hop. The slang is thrown around plenty, calling somebody ass it's a compliment. He's a at a term, he's a killer. Yeah, you can go after and eliminate targets. He's an assassin, right, That language is thrown around. She was using. Possibly that's where her head was. Who knows what was going on up there, but she knows it was the wrong word. Look, I appreciate I will say this about black folk. I do not like, and we don't like when other folks outside of our community try to box us in and say we're all this or we're all that, and we all like this music, I like this politics, I like this church, or like whatever. Maybe we hate that. So I also equally hate when black folks put each other into a box to where we can't have a diversity of ideas, like how dare you support that president? How dare you have that view on that issue? So I look, you can think what you want about Nicki Minaj, but I just I don't like dismissing people just because their views aren't necessarily exactly what somebody thinks should be in line with the African American community. And how can you support this guy giving what he's done to the minority communities, all those things. We can have that debate. I just don't think folks should be dismissed immediately just because you might have a view that's not like the rest. So for that, I will at least give Nicki Minage credit for having us have this conversation. Other people say, y'all are nuts. She's just doing this trying to remain relevant, or she wants something, or she's trying something their sinx.
00:24:02
Speaker 2: Well, I appreciate what you just said, because I think if more people can have that attitude about all the different opinions they have and just because someone may look a certain way, it doesn't mean we can assume they think a certain way. And I think that's a really good way to go about life, actually, and to give people that credit and give them that right to have their own, unique formed opinions that don't have to fall in line with where they were born, where they were from, with the color of their skin, is what part of the country they live in. We can all we all have the right to think and believe what we think is best for ourselves and our families. And so for that, yes, Nicki Minaj stood up and she owned it.
00:24:38
Speaker 1: We shall see. I'm very curious to see what happens with her moving forward. This is in her heart, but yeah, it is just because of who it is and what she looks like and is not the norm when it comes to supporting this president.
00:24:50
Speaker 2: It got too much, all right, And with that everyone, thank you for listening to us. I'm maybe Roebuck alongside TJ.
00:24:56
Speaker 3: Holmes. We'll talk to you soon.