Nicki Minaj Goes Radio Silent After Joking JD Vance Is An ‘Assassin’
- Minaj mistakenly calls Vance 'the assassin' at TPUSA event.
- Vance responds by acknowledging Minaj's message of unity, no bad blood.
- Minaj expresses admiration for Trump, says she's 'tired of being surrounded'.
JD Vance is finally responding after Nicki Minaj made an awkward onstage flub at the TPUSA summit this weekend — mistakenly calling him “the assassin” — and instead of firing back, the vice president opted for praise from his new MAGA buddy.
On Monday morning, Vance took to X and began referencing Minaj's comments about empowering young black girls without diminishing young blonde girls, indicating that he understood her broader point to be focused on unity.
He went on to reflect on how modern politics has fueled a “zero sum” mindset, accusing influential forces of profiting from sowing division. Vance himself tagged Minaj directly, noting that she rejects that way of thinking — making it clear there's no bad blood between the two.
“Nicki Minaj said something at Amfest that was really deep. I'm paraphrasing, but she said, “just because I want little black girls to think they're beautiful doesn't mean I have to put down little girls with blonde hair and blue eyes,” he wrote. “We've all been wrapped up in zero sum thinking in recent years. This was because the people who think they rule the world are pitting us against each other. @NICKIMINAJ denies that. We all have to do that.”
Minaj appeared at the Phoenix convention on Sunday 21 December, closes the event next to Erika Kirk. The two walked the stage hand in hand before sitting down for a wide-ranging discussion that touched on politics, faith and other topics.
The 43-year-old rapper raised eyebrows when she expressed her admiration for President Donald Trump and his administration. The audience addressed them, “Dear young men, you have great role models, like our handsome, lightning-fast president. And you have great role models like the assassin, JD Vance, our vice president.”
Almost immediately, Minaj realized her mistake. She froze, went silent for a noticeable moment, and covered her mouth with her hand in apparent shock.
Erika, 37, handled the moment with ease, confiding in Minaj by saying, “Trust me, there's nothing new under the sun that I haven't heard.”
After another break, Minaj got emotional and told her, “I love you.”
Erika responded warmly, adding, “You have to laugh about it. Really, I've been called everything. And you know what? God is so good.”
Erika became CEO of Turning Point USA following the death of her husband, Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed during a TPUSA event at Utah Valley University on September 10. He was 31.
For some, Minaj's presence at a conservative gathering came as a surprise, but the artist has been increasingly open about her support for Trump and his administration in recent months.
“I have the greatest respect and admiration for our president,” she told Erika. “I don't know if he knows this himself, but he has given so many people hope.”
To explain why she decided to support Trump, Minaj said she “just got tired of being driven around.”
“I have something inside of me that's stronger than what's out there. So when you've had enough, you realize, 'Wait a minute, why do I even care about these people and what they think? Who are they?' They don't even know who they are. So I'm not going back. I'm never going back,” she continued.
