AT A GLANCE
- A resurfaced video shows Charlie Kirk criticizing Nicki Minaj as a role model for Black girls.
- The clip is circulating days after Minaj appeared at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest alongside CEO Erika Kirk.
- Kirk’s remarks fit a long pattern of racially charged commentary and misinformation about Black culture.
- The backlash has intensified amid Minaj’s growing alignment with Trump-era conservative politics.
Resurfaced Clip Shows Charlie Kirk Targeting Nicki Minaj as a “Bad Role Model”
A resurfaced video of Charlie Kirk is circulating online, showing the conservative figure saying he did not believe Nicki Minaj was a good role model for Black girls.
The clip has gained renewed attention just days after Minaj made a surprise appearance at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest, where she shared the stage with Erika Kirk, Kirk’s widow and the organization’s CEO.
In the video, recorded during Kirk’s campus-focused “Prove Me Wrong” tour, he tells an audience member that “Black culture is being held captive by influences, songs, and role models,” before singling out Minaj. “I don’t think that’s a good role model for 18-year-old Black girls,” he said, positioning himself as an authority on Black culture while offering little familiarity with it.
Here’s what Charlie Kirk thought about you, @NICKIMINAJ.
— Kaivan Shroff (@KaivanShroff) December 23, 2025
“I don’t think that’s a good role model for 18-year-old black girls.” pic.twitter.com/QuvMTHcbAE
Kirk went on to incorrectly reference the song “WAP,” by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, as an example of Minaj’s lyrics being harmful, admitting in the same breath that he did not know which artist wrote the song. He then contrasted modern female rappers with unnamed “role models of the 1940s and 50s for Black America,” invoking a nostalgic standard without naming a single figure.
The remarks were consistent with Kirk’s long history of racially charged commentary. Over the years, he frequently spoke about Black communities as though he were uniquely qualified to diagnose their problems. Before his assassination, Kirk questioned whether mass shootings should “count gang violence,” warned about “prowling Blacks” targeting white people “for fun,” and regularly attacked affirmative action and diversity policies. He also publicly criticized figures including Joy Reid, Michelle Obama, Sheila Jackson Lee, and Ketanji Brown Jackson, framing their success as unearned.
The resurfaced clip is drawing attention now because of Minaj’s recent alignment with Turning Point USA and Trump-era conservative politics. At AmericaFest, Minaj praised Donald Trump, calling him “dashing,” and referred to Vice President JD Vance as an “assassin,” a word choice that drew immediate backlash. She also argued that empowering Black Americans often comes at the expense of white people’s feelings, a statement that critics said echoed familiar grievance politics.
The response was swift. Online critics highlighted the contradiction of Minaj aligning herself with a movement that has repeatedly criticized Black culture and Black public figures. Even the Democratic Party’s official social media account weighed in, labeling Minaj a “pedophile protector,” amplifying the controversy.
Despite criticizing Minaj as a role model, Kirk had previously invoked her when it suited his political messaging. In 2021, he used Minaj as an example of how he believed Democrats treated Black people they “can’t control,” arguing that her experiences proved the party only valued Black voters during election cycles.
Conservative commentator Candace Owens also noted that Kirk was a fan of Minaj’s verse on Kanye West’s “Monster,” underscoring the selective admiration that often accompanies conservative critiques of Black artists.
The resurfacing of the video has reignited debate not just about Minaj’s recent political turn, but about the long-standing pattern of conservatives policing Black culture while simultaneously courting Black celebrity influence.
