The Politics of Nicki Minaj
In the past two months, rapper Nicki Minaj has been in the news for her political advocacy. In this edition of Mosaic, pastor and political strategist Chris Butler argues that Minaj is right on some things—but she’s neglecting suffering closer to home. – Haleluya Hadero, Black church editor
Nicki Minaj has gone MAGA.
The rapper’s political evolution seems to have begun last fall when she expressed rightful concern over the safety of believers in Nigeria. Minaj, who identifies as a Christian, has since started talking more about God and has expanded her commentary to other hot-button topics.
The modern right welcomed her with open arms: She exchanged compliments with Vice President JD Vance, spoke at a Donald Trump–friendly political event, and threw dehumanizing punches at media personality Don Lemon for his presence at an ill-mannered anti-ICE demonstration in a church. This week, Minaj also appeared with Trump at another event and called herself his “number one fan.” She said she is not concerned about the criticism she’s facing due to her alignment with the president. “It actually motivates me to support him more,” she added.
The problem with all this isn’t Minaj’s embrace of politically conservative principles. The Trinidadian-born rapper once had an expletive-filled one-liner in a song about voting for Mitt Romney. (She later said it was sarcasm.)
The problem is also not that she champions her faith or criticizes politicians over gender ideology—even though it is hypocritical to simultaneously promote her own debauchery-filled music. The real problem is her online taunts, middle-fingered Chucky memes, and the culture-war mentality that seems to fuel much of what she does. Her behavior is yet another sign that reveals what happens when genuine concern about social issues is formed by outrage.
I should say here that it’s possible everything she’s doing is part of a grift, as some have suggested. But as of right now, I’m not convinced by that theory.
Minaj, whose real name is Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty, grew up in a Christian home. It’s unclear if or where she goes to church, but she has previously pointed out she does have a pastor who leads a nondenominational ministry in Brooklyn, New York. Minaj speaks openly about prayer, baptism, and her desire to please God. She seems like she has sincere concerns about issues that resonate deeply with many believers—not just the persecution of Christians abroad and gender confusion but also the right to worship without intimidation.
These are not fringe concerns. They are real, morally serious questions, especially for Black Christians navigating a political landscape with two white-dominated parties that often treat faith as either a liability or a prop. But concern alone is not enough. Without discipleship, concern often curdles into grievance.
During an appearance last month at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest, Minaj did not offer a comprehensive political platform or a detailed endorsement of the Trump administration’s policy agenda. The rapper had previously criticized the first Trump administration’s family-separation policy and revealed that she “came to this country as an illegal immigrant.” At the conference however, she didn’t bring up any of that.
Instead, she focused on areas of alignment with the administration—religious freedom, resistance to cultural coercion, and a shared sense of being bullied or silenced—complimented both Trump and Vance, and ignored the rest.
Omissions like this reflect the way our political culture increasingly trains participants, especially public figures, to emphasize alignment and bracket complexity. Internal critique is often framed as weakness, and complexity often seems like a liability rather than a virtue.
As a result, people amplify some of their concerns and become quieter on others, not because they abandoned those concerns but because they no longer feel speakable. Suppressing tension, however, doesn’t clarify our public witness; it only distorts it. Over time, many, including Christians, learn to say only what their tribe (or one they’re trying to belong to) will affirm.
This explains why figures like Minaj can speak passionately about Christian persecution abroad while remaining silent on policies that harm vulnerable families at home, why outrage over cultural coercion can coexist with indifference to state coercion, and why people can pair Christian language with rhetoric that dehumanizes perceived enemies.
But removing inconvenient tensions is not a problem unique to MAGA. I have similar concerns with the left, which treats dissent—especially on sexuality, race, and identity—as worthy of social exile. This very trait has been on full display with former fans of Minaj, who are circulating petitions calling for her deportation to Trinidad.
For Black Christians, the act of losing nuance can be especially dangerous. Historically, the Black church has held together moral commitments that do not fit neatly into America’s partisan binaries: a high view of human dignity alongside a strong sense of right and wrong, a demand for justice coupled with personal responsibility, and resistance to oppression in tandem with a search for reconciliation.
That tradition has always required discernment, not slogans. But discernment must be taught. And too often, it has not been.
Many churches, wary of political entanglement or exhausted by partisan conflict, have retreated from shaping consciences on public issues altogether. Others have functionally outsourced their political theology to one party or another, trading prophetic distance for access and affirmation.
But when churches fail to form believers politically—not by telling them who to vote for but by teaching them how to think Christianly about power, justice, and responsibility—the media, partisan movements, and social media often become places of discipleship and affirmation.
Minaj’s story illustrates this vividly. She does not arrive at Turning Point—or the recent event with Trump—as a policy technician or ideological theorist. She arrives as someone who feels pushed, mocked, silenced, and spiritually disrespected. And she is met not with patient theological conversations but with applause. Her anger is validated. Her “courage” is celebrated. Her complexity, however, is quietly narrowed.
The tragedy is that a community of Christians should be where someone like Minaj can bring all her convictions, examine them honestly, and refine them through Scripture and community. It should be among us that she can ask hard questions about immigration, religious liberty, gender, violence, and state power without hearing that only some of those concerns are welcome.
Unfortunately, both for Minaj and for the rest of us, these types of communities have become few and far between.
Chris Butler
Chris is a pastor in Chicago and the director of Christian civic formation at the Center for Christianity & Public Life. He is also the co-author of Compassion & Conviction: The And Campaign’s Guide to Faithful Civic Engagement.
Editors’ Picks
- Sho Baraka, editorial director, Big Tent:
- New York Times journalist Ross Douthat had an intriguing conversation about religious beliefs in the US with former pastor and demographer, Ryan Burge. The podcast episode offers good insights about the American church, and how it might look in the coming decades.
- As discussions about immigration dominate the news, I’ve been thinking about Minari, a film that beautifully captures the migration story of Christian Korean family to Arkansas. The movie is full of tension, disappointment and hope. I’d recommend it to viewers who are looking for immigration-oriented films that avoid tired tropes.
- Haleluya Hadero, Black church editor:
- Christianity Today contributor Matt Reynolds recently wrote a thoughtful article on pedagogy. Reynolds tackled the topic through a review of a new book written by journalist James Traub .
- I have eczema and have struggled with dry skin, especially in the winter. Initially, I thought fancy creams would solve the problem. After putting a few hundred dollars down the drain, my dermatologist told me good ol’ vaseline should do the trick. I went to Amazon, purchased several big tubs of vaseline, and haven’t looked back ever since.
Message from the big tent initiative
Join us on Wednesday, February 4th at 7:00 p.m. Central Standard Time for a panel discussion on Black+Evangelical, an acclaimed documentary from Christianity Today and Wheaton College. The feature-length documentary chronicles the history and struggles of African American evangelicals. The panel discussion—called “Fully Black, Fully Christian: Reflections on faith, history, and community in the Black evangelical journey”—is available for livestream. To attend, please register here.
Feedback and Talkback
As we build this newsletter and Big Tent Initiative, we would love your feedback and engagement. We plan to publish articles, host webinars, create podcasts, and more to meet the needs of our Big Tent audiences. What are some topics that you would like us to address?
We also want to highlight what’s on our shelves, our playlists, and our screens. Share your list with us, and we will select a few to include in our next newsletter. Contact us at bigtent@christianitytoday.com.
In Case You Missed It
in the magazine
When Jesus taught, he used parables. The kingdom of God is like yeast, a net, a pearl. Then and today, to grasp wisdom and spiritual insight, we need the concrete. We need stories. In this issue of Christianity Today, we focus on testimony—the stories we tell, hear, and proclaim about God’s redemptive work in the world. Testimony is a personal application of the Good News. You’ll read Marvin Olasky’s testimony from Communism to Christ, Jen Wilkin’s call to biblical literacy, and a profile on the friendship between theologian Miroslav Volf and poet Christian Wiman. In an essay on pickleball, David Zahl reminds us that play is also a testament to God’s grace. As you read, we hope you’ll apply the truths of the gospel in your own life, church, and neighborhood. May your life be a testimony to the reality of God’s kingdom.
CT MOSAIC
CT Mosaic is a monthly newsletter that elevates the many voices and colors of God’s church.
Delivered free via email to subscribers monthly. Subscribe to this newsletter.
You are currently subscribed as no email found. Sign up to more newsletters like this. Manage your email preferences or unsubscribe.
Christianity Today is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
“Christianity Today” and “CT” are the registered trademarks of Christianity Today International.
Copyright ©2025 Christianity Today, PO Box 788, Wheaton, IL 60187-0788
All rights reserved.