Rapper Nicki Minaj sparked widespread controversy on Saturday, November 1, 2025, after publicly thanking President Donald Trump for threatening military action against Nigeria over what he described as the mass slaughter of Christians in the West African nation.
The “Anaconda” singer reposted Trump’s Truth Social message with a screenshot, expressing what she called a deep sense of gratitude for living in a country where people can freely worship God. Minaj, who hails from Trinidad and Tobago, wrote that no group should ever be persecuted for practicing their religion and that people do not need to share the same beliefs to respect each other.
“Numerous countries all around the world are being affected by this horror and it’s dangerous to pretend we don’t notice,” Minaj wrote. “Thank you to The President and his team for taking this seriously. God bless every persecuted Christian. Let’s remember to lift them up in prayer.”
Trump had announced on Oct. 31 that he was designating Nigeria as a country of particular concern for religious freedom violations. In his post, the president claimed that radical Islamists were responsible for killing thousands of Christians and that the United States could not stand by while such atrocities occurred.
The president escalated his rhetoric further by threatening to withhold aid from the Nigerian government and instructing the Department of War to prepare for possible military action. Trump wrote that if the U.S. attacked, it would be fast, vicious and sweet, warning the Nigerian government to move quickly.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz responded to Minaj’s post, thanking her for using her platform to speak out in defense of persecuted Christians. Waltz invited the musician to meet with him at the U.S. Embassy in New York to discuss what the administration was doing to protect Christians’ freedoms worldwide. Minaj replied that she would be honored to accept the invitation.
The rapper’s endorsement of Trump’s threats triggered immediate backlash from fans and critics. One supporter accused Minaj of encouraging Trump’s tirade and weaponizing religion, noting that the administration wanted to push gay fans into a corner and silence them. The fan pointed out the irony of supporting a president whose policies threatened LGBTQ rights.
Minaj fired back in a now-deleted post, arguing that people were making the persecution of Christians about themselves being gay. She recounted how her home had been swatted multiple times with her toddler inside due to what she called political corruption, with about 20 officers pointing guns at their residence. The rapper suggested that critics expected her to stay oppressed and ignored by public figures who were supposed to help.
Nigeria represents Africa’s most populous nation with over 230 million people. The country’s population is roughly evenly split, with about half identifying as Muslim and 46 percent as Christian. The situation for Christians has become increasingly dire, with reports of entire villages burned to the ground, worshippers murdered at Sunday services and thousands displaced by Islamist groups.
Mark Walker, Trump’s ambassador-designate for International Religious Freedom, told Fox News Digital that even conservative estimates suggested between 4,000 and 8,000 Christians were killed annually in Nigeria. He indicated that the violence had been ongoing for years, perpetrated by groups ranging from ISWAP to Islamist Fulani ethnic militias.
The Nigerian government strongly rejected the characterization that Christians faced genocide. Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, a spokesperson for Nigeria’s foreign ministry, stated that his country remained committed to tackling violent extremism fueled by special interests that had driven decay and division across the West African and Sahel regions. He emphasized that Nigeria had no option but to celebrate the diversity that represented its greatest strength.
Nigerian Senator Shehu Sani disputed the designation on social media, calling it founded on outright falsehoods and wholesale misinformation. He argued that terrorists and bandits in Nigeria killed and kidnapped victims irrespective of their religious beliefs, noting that the country’s Muslim-Christian ratio made it technically impossible for one faith to persecute another. Sani suggested Trump had been misinformed by those who aimed to benefit from seeds of division and discontent.
The designation as a country of particular concern allows the U.S. to institute punitive measures and sanctions, including restricting non-humanitarian aid. Trump previously placed Nigeria on the U.S. religious freedom watchlist during his first administration, though President Joe Biden lifted that designation during his term.
When asked aboard Air Force One on Sunday whether he envisioned troops on the ground or air strikes, Trump indicated he envisaged a lot of things. He stated that the killings of Christians in Nigeria were happening in record numbers and that America would not allow it to continue.
Republican Senator Ted Cruz praised the president’s determination in a statement, noting he had fought for years to counter the slaughter and persecution of Christians in Nigeria. The House Appropriations Committee pledged to continue investigating once the government shutdown ended, characterizing Nigeria as the most dangerous nation on Earth to follow Christ.
Minaj, who reportedly dedicated a performance of her 2014 song “Anaconda” to Trump in the past, has not previously been overtly political. In an October 2020 interview with Rolling Stone, she expressed concerns about children being separated from parents at the border but found Trump funny on Celebrity Apprentice. The rapper has been open about her Christian faith throughout her career.
