Nicki Minaj surprises conservatives with praise for Trump, Vance at Arizona eventFemale rapper Nicki Minaj has made a surprise appearance at a gathering of conservatives in ArizonaByADRIANA GOMEZ LICON Associated PressDecember 21, 2025, 3:19 PMFemale rapper Nicki Minaj on Sunday made a surprise appearance at a gathering of conservatives in Arizona that was memorializing late activist Charlie Kirk, and used her time on stage to praise President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, calling them “role models” for young men. The rap star was interviewed at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest convention by Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, about her newly found support for Trump — someone she had condemned in the past — and about her actions denouncing violence against Christians in Nigeria. Minaj mocked California Gov. Gavin Newsom, referring to him as New-scum, a nickname Trump gave him, and expressed admiration for the Republican president and Vance, who received the endorsement from Erika Kirk. She took over as leader of the powerful conservative youth organization.