Noncitizen Nicki Minaj Says 'Vote Red' as Critics Mention Husband and Brother Sex Offender Ties

Nicki Minaj told young Americans to 'vote red' during a Fox News interview with Lara Trump that aired Saturday, 26 September 2026. Her Republican appeal also renewed attention to past public comments about her US citizenship. Fox News previewed the political message in a clip released on 25 September.

During My View with Lara Trump, Minaj encouraged younger Americans to participate in the 2026 midterm elections and make their voices heard. She told viewers to become involved in politics and made her partisan preference clear by urging them to 'vote red.'

The interview continued Minaj's increasingly public support for President Donald Trump. In January, she appeared alongside Trump at a Treasury Department event promoting Trump Accounts, savings vehicles established for children. The White House later published footage in which Minaj called herself the president's 'number one fan.'

Minaj has also said criticism of her support for Trump has strengthened her determination to back him. Her latest comments moved that support directly into the midterm conversation by encouraging younger voters to participate and favour Republican candidates.

Nicki Minaj Citizenship Comments Return After Voting Appeal

Minaj's message attracted additional attention because she has previously spoken publicly about her immigration and citizenship history.

In September 2024, the Trinidad and Tobago-born rapper said during a TikTok livestream that she was not a US citizen. PolitiFact independently documented the statement at the time. No authoritative source reviewed for this article establishes that she has since completed naturalisation.

The issue resurfaced in January 2026 after Minaj posted an image of a gold-coloured card following her appearance with Trump in Washington. She wrote that she was 'finalizing' her citizenship paperwork. A White House official later said the card she displayed was a commemorative memento rather than an immigration document.

The distinction matters because the official Trump Gold Card programme provides qualifying applicants with lawful permanent resident status after vetting and the required financial contribution. Its official website says successful applicants receive permanent resident status through EB-1 or EB-2 classifications. The programme itself does not confer US citizenship.

US citizenship is required to vote in federal elections. USAGov states that noncitizens, including lawful permanent residents, cannot vote federally, although some jurisdictions permit noncitizens to participate in certain local elections.

Minaj did not say in the Fox interview that she intended to cast a ballot herself. Her remarks were directed at voters, particularly younger Americans. Describing her categorically as a current 'noncitizen' would therefore go beyond the publicly established evidence about her present status.

Online Reaction Revives Nicki Minaj Family Cases

Minaj's political comments also prompted online critics to revive the criminal records of her husband, Kenneth Petty, and brother, Jelani Maraj.

Those cases remain separate from Minaj's own conduct and political views. The convictions do not establish why she supports Trump or Republican candidates, and unsupported claims connecting them to immigration benefits, pardons or political favours should not be presented as fact.

Petty pleaded guilty in New York to attempted rape in the first degree in 1995, a conviction that required him to register as a sex offender. He later pleaded guilty to failing to register after moving to California and was sentenced in 2022 to three years of probation and one year of home confinement.

Maraj was found guilty by a Nassau County jury of predatory sexual assault against a child and endangering the welfare of a child. A judgment was entered on 27 January 2020. New York's Appellate Division affirmed the judgment on 26 June 2024.

Those records explain why the cases appeared in criticism surrounding Minaj, but they are not evidence of wrongdoing by the rapper herself.

The verified focus remains her direct political message ahead of the midterms. Minaj encouraged young Americans to participate in elections and publicly urged them to support Republicans, while her earlier citizenship comments remain a separate question without current documentary confirmation.