'The Assassin JD Vance': Nicki Minaj's Shocking Slip to Erika Kirk Ignites Conspiracy Theories – What Does She Really Know?

Nicki Minaj didn't plan to dominate the news cycle when she stepped onto the stage at Turning Point USA's AmericaFest in Phoenix on 21 December 2025. But one word uttered in front of a woman whose husband was assassinated just months earlier was enough to send political corners of the internet into a frenzy.

Minaj, appearing alongside Erika Kirk, the widow of late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, was midway through offering advice to young men when she praised 'our handsome, dashing president' before adding another name. What followed was a moment that instantly went viral.

'You have amazing role models like the assassin JD Vance, our vice president,' Minaj said.

A Gaffe With Heavy Context

The slip landed with particular force because of the setting. AmericaFest was TPUSA's first major gathering since Charlie Kirk was assassinated on 3 September 2025, during a live debate at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.

The FBI has maintained the killing was carried out by a lone gunman with no clear motive, a conclusion Erika Kirk has publicly supported while urging an end to speculation.

That backdrop made Minaj's use of the word 'assassin', especially while sitting beside Kirk's widow, feel jarring. Body language analysts later pointed to Minaj's rigid posture and prolonged pause as signs of genuine shock rather than rehearsed theatrics.

Erika Kirk moved quickly to defuse the moment. 'Trust me, there's nothing new under the sun that I have not heard,' she said, before adding, 'I love you.' She later brushed it off entirely, telling the crowd that 'words are words' and insisting she understood Minaj's heart.

From Foot-in-Mouth to Full-Blown Theories

Clips of the exchange racked up millions of views on X and YouTube within hours. While some viewers chalked it up to an unfortunate slip, possibly slang meant to convey toughness or dominance, others were far less charitable.

Netizens and political commentators began framing the moment as a 'Freudian slip,' suggesting Minaj might have let something spill that wasn't meant for public ears. Posts questioning 'what does she really know?' spread rapidly, with some users tying the comment to long-circulating rumours involving JD Vance and Erika Kirk.

Those rumours were not new. Earlier in December, podcaster Nick Fuentes claimed without evidence that Kirk and Vance had a personal relationship, citing an affectionate hug at a TPUSA event and Kirk's early praise of Vance as a future presidential contender.

Fuentes also pointed to Kirk later distancing herself from Vance amid political backlash as 'suspicious.' None of those claims has been substantiated.

Still, Minaj's wording poured gasoline on an already smouldering fire.

Nicki Minaj Goes Quiet, JD Vance Does Not

Minaj herself has avoided addressing the comment head-on. After briefly thanking Kirk onstage, she went largely silent on social media, fueling headlines suggesting she was laying low amid the backlash.

JD Vance, meanwhile, appeared unbothered. He, in fact, has only praise for the rapper. 'Nicki Minaj said something at Amfest that was really profound. I'm paraphrasing, but she said, 'just because I want little black girls to think they're beautiful doesn't mean I need to put down little girls with blonde hair and blue eyes,' he wrote on X (formerly Twitter)

The exchange only deepened the divide online, with critics calling the entire episode tone-deaf and supporters dismissing the outrage as manufactured.

Furthermore, whether Nicki Minaj's comment was a careless choice of slang or simply a verbal misfire, it has become part of a larger, unsettled conversation.