Rapper Nicki Minaj used a United Nations platform Tuesday to publicly align with former President Donald Trump, calling attention to what she described as “the deadly threat” facing Christians in Nigeria. The remarks came at a U.S.-hosted panel at the UN Mission in New York, where Minaj urged international leaders to act against religious persecution.
Spotlight on Religious Persecution
Minaj began by thanking Trump for his “leadership on the global stage in calling for urgent action.” She said, “to defend Christians in Nigeria, to combat extremism and to bring a stop to violence against those who simply want to exercise their natural right to freedom of religion or belief.”
She described her speech as not about politics but about justice. “In Nigeria, Christians are being targeted, driven from their homes and killed. Churches have been burned. Families have been torn apart … simply because of how they pray,” she said.
Minaj added that this is not just a Nigerian problem, but “a growing problem … in so many other countries across the world,” demanding urgent international attention. She emphasized that protecting Christians in Nigeria “is not about taking sides or dividing people. It is about uniting humanity.”
Acknowledging her own global platform, Minaj reflected on how “music has taken me around the globe … I have seen how people … come alive when they hear a song that touches their soul.” She underscored her commitment, telling her fans — whom she calls her “Barbz” — that “this isn’t about taking sides … this is about standing up in the face of injustice.”
Minaj also reaffirmed that faith should not divide but unite. “Religious freedom means we all sing our faith regardless of who we are, where we live and what we believe,” she said.
The event was hosted by U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, who introduced Minaj as “not only arguably the greatest female recording artist, but also a principled individual who refuses to remain silent in the face of injustice.” Waltz later described the killing of Nigerian Christians as “genocide wearing the mask of chaos.”
Minaj’s participation reportedly stemmed from coordination by former Trump adviser Alex Bruesewitz, signaling a close alignment with Trump’s global agenda.
While Trump has warned of possible military intervention if the violence continues, analysts caution that the crisis in Nigeria is complex — driven by ethnic, economic, and religious factors, not exclusively faith-based violence. Some experts argue that broad claims of an “existential threat” to Christianity oversimplify the reality on the ground.
Still, Minaj said she will not back down. “The Barbz & I will never stand down in the face of injustice,” she posted on X before the event. “We’ve been given our influence by God. There must be a bigger purpose.”
Minaj added that her advocacy “is about what I’ve always stood for … and I will continue to stand for that for the rest of my life.”