Trump turns Michigan rally into a spectacle as he comments on Nicki Minaj's body
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President Donald Trump used a Port Huron campaign rally to make a crude remark about rapper Nicki Minaj's appearance, even as the event was supposed to bolster Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers and gubernatorial candidate John James. Minaj later appeared onstage to endorse the ticket.
President Donald Trump addressed a rally in Port Huron, Michigan, on Sunday, where he once again shifted attention away from substantive policy and toward a crass comment about rapper Nicki Minaj’s appearance. The event was organized to boost support for Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers and gubernatorial candidate John James, but Trump made sure his own remarks became the headline.
During his remarks, Trump said, "By the way, I looked at one hell of a beautiful ass before: Nicki Minaj! That's hard to miss!" He then tried to brush it off as a joke and pointed to a previous similar comment he had made about Ohio Senate candidate Jon Husted, underscoring a pattern of vulgar, attention-seeking behavior.
Nicki Minaj later took the stage, delivering remarks in favor of Rogers and James and leading audience chants supporting the candidates. She told Trump, "It is an honor to stand with you," and added, "If you run again, I will support you again."
The rally took place less than a week before the midterm elections, amid polling that suggests potential losses for Republicans in Congress, adding pressure to a campaign that appears increasingly reliant on spectacle and celebrity optics rather than governing ideas.