The Rapper Says Democrats Have Become Too Focused On Pop Culture As She Continues To Publicly Align Herself With President Donald Trump
Nicki Minaj is taking her increasingly public political stance a step further, criticizing the Democratic Party’s relationship with entertainers while urging young Americans to vote Republican in the upcoming midterm elections.
During an interview with Lara Trump that aired Saturday on Fox News’ “My View with Lara Trump,” Minaj said Democrats have become “way too caught up in pop culture” and argued that relationships with entertainers have influenced the party’s behavior.
“I think the Democrats have gotten way too caught up in pop culture, for lack of a better term,” Minaj said. “I think that they’ve allowed their relationships with artists to cause them to act like children and to be so petty and childish.”
Minaj Encourages Young Voters To “Vote Red”
Minaj also used the interview to directly address young voters ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
“Now is not the time to think that your voice will not be heard,” she said, arguing that young Americans need to become more involved in elections. She later urged them to “vote red,” explicitly encouraging support for Republican candidates.
The comments mark another step in Minaj’s increasingly visible support for President Donald Trump. During the interview, she described Trump as “a very authentic person” and said she has “made it my mission to be someone that supports him.”
Related: ‘The Hate Motivates Me’: Nicki Minaj Doubles Down on Trump Support
Her criticism of Democrats centered partly on the intersection of politics and entertainment, an issue that has long generated debate as both major political parties enlist celebrities, musicians and other high-profile figures to reach voters.
Minaj herself has increasingly occupied that intersection.
Political Presence Continues To Grow
Earlier in September, Minaj served as a celebrity judge for the Trump administration’s Small Business Administration Million Dollar Pitch Competition, which brought five small businesses to Washington to compete for a share of $1 million in growth capital.
The role moved Minaj beyond political commentary and into an administration-backed event alongside entrepreneur Grant Cardone and Airbnb co-founder and U.S. Chief Design Officer Joe Gebbia.
Her Lara Trump interview also came shortly after another Fox News appearance with Laura Ingraham. Asked what she would say to people critical of her support for Trump, Minaj responded, “Absolutely nothing.”
Minaj, one of hip-hop’s most commercially successful artists, spent much of her career without a consistently defined partisan identity. Her recent appearances, however, have made her support for Trump and Republican candidates an increasingly prominent part of her public profile.
