It didn’t take long for Nicki Minaj to respond after Trevor Noah made a joke about her during the Grammy Awards. Noah, who was hosting the ceremony, pointed out that Minaj was noticeably absent and used the moment to poke fun at her recent political turn.
During his opening monologue, Noah joked that Minaj was probably still at the White House with President Donald Trump, “discussing very important issues.” He then added another jab, suggesting Trump would likely brag about having a bigger backside than Minaj, clearly playing off both her fame and Trump’s ego. The joke landed with laughter in the room, but Minaj clearly didn’t find it funny.
Shortly after the monologue aired, Minaj fired back on X. Instead of responding directly to the joke, she attacked Noah personally, making a comment about his sexuality and implying that people in the entertainment industry know details about his private life. She ended the post with “allegedly,” a word often used to shield accusations without actually backing them up.
Along with her post, Minaj shared a photo of herself wearing a hat that read “Nicki was right about everything.” She also included old photos of Jay-Z with Beyoncé and the late singer Aaliyah, though it wasn’t immediately clear how those images connected to her message or to Noah’s joke.
Minaj has been nominated for 12 Grammys throughout her career, but she was not nominated this year, which may have added to the tension surrounding her absence from the ceremony. Still, the exchange highlighted how much her public image has shifted recently.
While Minaj was once openly critical of Donald Trump, she has made a sharp turn toward him in recent weeks. She has publicly embraced his MAGA agenda and even referred to herself as Trump’s “number one fan” while speaking at a Treasury Department summit. Not long after that, she appeared at the premiere of a controversial documentary focused on Melania Trump, signaling just how closely she now aligns herself with the Trump political brand.
Her response to Noah also reflects another troubling shift. Minaj has increasingly used language that many see as homophobic, something that stands in stark contrast to her long history of support from LGBTQ+ fans. Just last week, she used an anti-LGBTQ+ slur to insult journalist Don Lemon, who has been covering protests related to Trump’s immigration crackdown in Minneapolis. Lemon, who is openly gay and married, was targeted by Minaj in a way that drew immediate backlash.
Rather than apologizing or backing down, Minaj doubled down when criticized. She posted again on X, saying she was glad people were angry and warning that they were “about to get angrier.” The message made it clear she has no intention of softening her rhetoric, even as it alienates parts of the audience that once strongly supported her.
Taken together, the Grammys exchange, her public political appearances, and her increasingly aggressive online behavior paint a picture of an artist who is not just shifting politically, but also embracing a more confrontational and divisive public persona.
