Nicki Minaj ‘won’t ever make excuses’ for loving Trump, joins Million Dollar Pitch Competition

AUSTIN, TEXAS: Nicki Minaj is once again speaking openly about her support for President Donald Trump, saying she will not make excuses for her feelings toward him. The rapper made the comments while discussing her new role as a celebrity judge on the Trump administration's Million Dollar Pitch Competition.

During the September 18 broadcast of ‘The Laura Ingraham Angle’ on Fox News, Minaj, 43, spoke about the competition before turning to her views on Trump.

The event is part of the Small Business Administration's Freedom 250 initiative, with five entrepreneurs competing for a total $1 million prize in front of a live audience and celebrity judges.

Nicki Minaj praises Donald Trump during Fox News appearance

Minaj first focused on the small-business side of the competition, saying she believed it could give entrepreneurs a boost even if they were not already famous.

“Small business represents the heart of the country,” Minaj said. She added that people could see themselves in the pitch ideas and that the competition could motivate other small businesses. 

Minaj also said the event showed that entrepreneurs did not need to be “a huge household name” to receive recognition from the president.

After discussing the competition, Minaj turned her attention to Trump and described him as “understanding and grounded.”

“Every time I see him or every time I see him speaking to other people, he's just himself. He's very grounded. It's easy to connect with him. He understands you,” she said.

Minaj then made her feelings about Trump clear. “I just love him. I'm not going to ever make excuses for that. Because I don't know why I should,” she said.

Fox News host Laura Ingraham responded, “I love it.”

Nicki Minaj takes part in Trump’s Million Dollar Pitch Competition

Minaj is one of the celebrity judges taking part in the Million Dollar Pitch Competition, which will see five entrepreneurs compete for a combined $1 million prize.

Fellow judge Grant Cardone also appeared on the program to discuss the competition. The format echoes Trump's former reality show ‘The Apprentice’, bringing business pitches and celebrity judges together in front of a live audience.

Nicki Minaj has been open about her Trump support

Minaj's political support has become increasingly public. In November 2025, she thanked Trump for a post in which he threatened military action over the alleged killing of Christians in Nigeria.

Since then, Minaj has attended and spoken at various Trump-aligned events. She has also publicly referred to herself as Trump's “number one fan.”

Her latest comments came after she announced another new project on August 23. Minaj told fans on X that they could subscribe to her account for $10 to access exclusive content.

“I finally did it. You can now subscribe to my X account,” she wrote, describing the space as a place for people who wanted to “think deeper, grow, learn, laugh, cry” and more.

The move also drew criticism from some people who have called her “MAGA Barbie,” playing on her well-known Barbie image.