Trump uses Michigan rally to gush over Nicki Minaj while Republican candidates trail behind
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President Donald Trump lavished praise on rapper Nicki Minaj’s looks as she appeared with him at a Republican rally in Port Huron, Michigan, where the event served as a stage for electioneering and culture-war messaging ahead of upcoming races.
President Donald Trump used a rally in Port Huron, Michigan, on Oct. 25 to praise rapper Nicki Minaj, turning a campaign stop into a spectacle of ego and political theater. Minaj traveled on Air Force One to support Republican candidates, including former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers and Rep. John James, who are contesting seats in the state’s midterm races.
Trump said Minaj’s appearance was “hard to miss” and added that she “never looked more beautiful,” calling her “a very special person” who “gets it, smart.” He later said he hoped Minaj was not insulted by his remarks, underscoring the awkward mix of flattery and spectacle that defined the moment.
Minaj delivered a brief speech urging voters to back the Republican effort and echoed the right’s anti-transgender politics by opposing gender-affirming care for transgender children, saying, “We want our children to grow up in a place where we can be proud of. We don’t want our children bombarded with sex changes.”
The comments came three months after Trump joked about Minaj “twerking” at a White House Correspondents' Association Dinner that was later disrupted by a shooting incident.