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By Amanda Castro
Associate News Editor
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Nicki Minaj's appearance alongside Donald Trump at a Michigan campaign rally has refocused attention on whether she is now a U.S. citizen.
The question carries new significance ahead of the November 3 midterm elections after Minaj urged support for Republican candidates, despite saying in 2024 that she was not an American citizen.
Minaj said in January that she was finalizing citizenship paperwork, but she has not publicly confirmed completing the process, leaving her current status and eligibility to vote in federal elections unclear.
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The Trinidad-born artist joined Trump at an October 25 rally in Port Huron, Michigan, where she praised the president, said she was honored to work with him and told the crowd he had "changed the energy of our country."
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Is Nicki Minaj a US Citizen? What We Know
No public confirmation currently shows that Minaj is a U.S. citizen. She has long held lawful permanent resident status, according to published accounts, and explicitly said during a 2024 livestream: "I'm not a citizen of America. Isn't that crazy?" She also pointed to the taxes she had paid in the U.S. while discussing why she believed she deserved citizenship.
Her status appeared potentially headed for a change in January 2026. After appearing with Trump at an event promoting his administration's Trump Accounts initiative, Minaj posted an image of a Trump Gold Card and wrote on X that she was "Finalizing that citizenship paperwork as we speak."
She said she had received the card free of charge.
A White House spokesperson later told The Hill that the card Minaj received was a "memento," not a visa document. Minaj has not subsequently announced that she completed the naturalization process.
Federal elections are restricted to U.S. citizens, so lawful permanent residency alone would not make her eligible to vote.
Where Is Nicki Minaj From?
Minaj, whose full name is Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty, was born on December 8, 1982, in Saint James, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. She spent her earliest years in Trinidad before moving to the United States as a young child and growing up in Queens, New York.
She has discussed that experience in her political commentary. In 2018, while criticizing the Trump administration's policy of separating immigrant families at the U.S.-Mexico border, Minaj said she had entered the United States without legal authorization when she was five.
Minaj wrote that she could not imagine arriving in an unfamiliar country and being separated from her parents. Reporting on her immigration history says she eventually obtained lawful permanent resident status.
She attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, built her reputation through mixtapes and later signed with Young Money, becoming one of the most commercially successful female rappers.
What Has Nicki Minaj Said About Donald Trump?
Minaj has made a sharp political shift from her earlier criticism of Trump's immigration policies.
In January 2026, she publicly described herself as "probably the president's No. 1 fan" and said criticism only motivated her to support him more.
That support was unmistakable in Michigan. Minaj described standing with Trump as "an honor" and said she would continue supporting him.
She also called the midterm elections a "major turning point for our country."
Nicki Minaj as New Press Secretary: How the Rumor Started
Speculation about Minaj becoming White House press secretary originated with a joking exchange aboard Air Force One as she traveled with Trump to Michigan, not an announced appointment.
White House communications director Steven Cheung posted a video of himself questioning Minaj about Trump while the rapper answered in the style of a White House spokesperson. Cheung captioned the clip: "Ladies and gentlemen, I think we may have found the new White House Press Secretary!"
Minaj reshared the post with an American flag and smiling-with-sweat emoji, helping the exchange spread on social media. The joke attracted particular attention because the press secretary position was open following Katie Zacharia's departure.
No appointment for press secretary has been announced.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here. Contact Newsweek editors for this story: Robert Greenall and Kate Nalepinski
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