Nicki Minaj Explained Why She Supports Donald Trump

In a new Time interview, Nicki Minaj says her newfound friendship with Donald Trump is, in part, an extension of her beef with Jay-Z. According to Minaj, Jay’s chuminiess with former President Obama alienated a lot of the hip-hop community, herself included. “I think Jay-Z ended up costing Obama a lot, whether he knows it or not,” she says. “Lots of rappers don’t like Jay-Z and were afraid to say it.”

Minaj was already more right-leaning than perhaps fans though. These feelings expanded when she felt dogpiled on by the left after the cousin’s friend’s balls incident. She also felt like Governor Gavin Newsom didn’t take her seriously when she complained about being swatted, while Turning Point USA’s Anna Paulina Luna recommended a private security firm to her. She discusses hiding her true political feelings for fear of turning off either fans or the music business in general. “I felt that way already about him, just that I didn’t dare act like that publicly,” Minaj says. “It’s been ingrained in everyone’s brain in the music business that we are supposed to be a Democratic family. I just knew they would not like me supporting Trump.”

Minaj says there are more celebrity Trump fans than we think. “Many celebrities feel the way I do,” she says, “but they don’t say it. Sometimes you just need one brave person to get the brunt of the impact. I think I am the catalyst for that change.”