Rep. Jasmine Crockett Slams Nicki Minaj, Says the Rapper Is 'Only Out for Herself' in NYC Remarks

Texas Democratic congresswoman Jasmine Crockett launched a scathing rebuke against hip-hop star Nicki Minaj in New York City on Tuesday, accusing the chart-topping artist of self-serving political opportunism following her high-profile embrace of President Donald Trump.

Speaking to entertainment outlet TMZ on 3 November 2026 as Americans voted in pivotal midterm elections, the representative for Texas's 30th Congressional District questioned how an artist who arrived in the United States as an immigrant could publicly align with an administration known for aggressive Immigration and Customs Enforcement crackdowns and expanding migrant detention.

Crockett argued that the Trinidad-born rapper was leveraging her global platform to advance personal interests rather than fostering communal unity, criticising her decision to stump for Trump at a campaign rally in Michigan on 25 October.

The dispute arrived hours before Minaj made an unannounced appearance outside a New Hampshire polling station, reigniting debate over her unverified citizenship application and her pledge of eternal loyalty to Trump.

While Crockett voiced optimism regarding grassroots unity between diverse religious communities, the confrontation highlights deepening cultural fault lines over celebrity political endorsements. Those were the congresswoman's political assessments, not established findings about Minaj's motives.

Why Jasmine Crockett Challenged Nicki Minaj Over Immigration

Crockett questioned what she regarded as a contradiction between Minaj's Trump endorsement and the treatment of immigrants detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.

TMZ reported that Crockett took particular issue with the rapper lending her platform to the Make America Great Again movement.

The exchange also revived questions about Minaj's immigration history. Born in Trinidad and Tobago, the musician moved to the United States as a child. In January, she said on social media that her American citizenship paperwork was being finalised.

TMZ described Minaj as a non-citizen in its November report. Her current citizenship status, however, has not been independently confirmed. The January statement does not establish whether her application has since been completed, and the rapper should not be described as undocumented without evidence.

This was not Crockett's first public disagreement with Minaj. In a separate TMZ interview published on 3 February, the congresswoman criticised the performer's political alignment and said she would no longer listen to her music. Her latest remarks returned to the perceived conflict between support for Trump and concern for immigrants.

Crockett also urged influential people to promote unity, according to the account of the November interview. She said Muslim and Jewish communities should stand together in Michigan and elsewhere. The published summary did not identify a particular event behind that appeal.

Nicki Minaj's Trump Rally Appearance Adds To Political Rift

Minaj has made her own position unmistakable in public. Speaking beside Trump at the Port Huron rally on 25 October, she praised his leadership and said he had given Americans hope for a brighter future. Her remarks are recorded in a transcript published by Roll Call.

She also encouraged the Michigan audience to support Republicans Mike Rogers and John James. Addressing Trump directly, she promised, 'I will continue to support you forever and ever.' The appearance placed the rapper squarely within the election campaign, rather than merely commenting on it from social media.

On 3 November, NBC10 Boston reported seeing Minaj outside a polling location at Pinkerton Academy in Derry, New Hampshire. Police escorted her as she posed for photographs and spoke briefly to a supporter. She then boarded a tour bus.

The New Hampshire appearance and Crockett's interview took place on the same day, but the reporting does not establish that the congresswoman was responding to that particular visit. Nor did the polling-station footage disclose why Minaj had chosen to appear there.

Crockett expressed optimism about the country's future alongside her call for greater unity, according to TMZ. Its written summary did not fully explain the basis for that optimism and did not include Minaj's response to the new criticism.

The public record clearly shows two positions. Crockett objects to the political message she believes Minaj is sending. Minaj, meanwhile, publicly pledged continued support for Trump and urged Michigan voters to back Republican candidates.