'Never thought I'd see the day': Nicki Minaj splits fanbase over Trump interaction

'Super Bass' rapper and singer Nicki Minaj has divided the internet, after responding to a social media post from US president Donald Trump about the “mass slaughter” of Christians in Nigeria.

On Friday, the businessman declared that he was categorising Nigeria as a “country of particular concern”, claiming that Christianity is “facing an existential threat” in the nation with “thousands of Christians” being killed.

“The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria, and numerous other Countries. We stand ready, willing, and able to save our Great Christian population around the world,” he wrote on Truth Social.

In response, Minaj – real name Onika Maraj-Petty – thanked Trump and his administration for “taking [the situation] seriously”.

She tweeted: “Reading this made me feel a deep sense of gratitude. We live in a country where we can freely worship God.

“No group should ever be persecuted for practicing their religion. We don’t have to share the same beliefs in order for us to respect each other.

“Numerous countries all around the world are being affected by this horror & it’s dangerous to pretend we don’t notice.”

When Mike Waltz, US ambassador to the United Nations, encouraged Minaj to “come by the US Embassy to the United Nations” if she was ever in New York, the musician replied: “I’d be honoured.”

The interactions have been met with a mixed response from fellow Twitter/X users – from fans announcing they were withdrawing their support, to others questioning what was wrong with Minaj’s tweet:

“You cozying up to this f***ing loser, I might actually have to tap out,” commented one fan.

“Yeah unfollowed,” wrote another:

A third tweeted: “Never thought I’d see the day where I stop being a Nicki Stan”:

But not everyone was critical of Minaj’s remarks, with some asking “what she said wrong”:

“There’s a difference between politics and basic humanity,” wrote another:

And one fan said they read the post “and see nothing to be offended by”:

While Minaj hasn’t responded to the criticism, she went on to comment on the news of her invitation to the UN by tweeting the words: “Come on barbz, let’s Make America Gag Again.”

What is happening in Nigeria?

According to the Associated Press, Nigeria has a population of more than 220 million people, and this is split “almost equally” between Christians and Muslims.

The country has seen attacks on both religious groups, and continues to fight against the extremist group Boko Haram, which has “targeted Muslims it deems not Muslim enough”.

The charity Open Doors, which supports Christians persecuted around the world, says its research shows that more Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria than in the rest of the world combined.

Trump threatens military action against Nigeria

Trump went further on Truth Social on Saturday, when he wrote: “If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing’, to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities.

“I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians! WARNING: THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT BETTER MOVE FAST!”

Nigerian president Bola Ahmed Tinubu pushed back against Trump’s comments later the same day, saying in a statement: “The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality, nor does it take into consideration the consistent and sincere efforts of the government to safeguard freedom of religion and beliefs for all Nigerians.

“Religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so. Nigeria opposes religious persecution and does not encourage it.

“Nigeria is a country with constitutional guarantees to protect citizens of all faiths.”

Trump’s warning to Nigeria comes just days after CNN reported the president was considering a military operation inside Venezuela to tackle cocaine facilities and drug traffickers.

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