Nicki Minaj Backs Trump’s Nigeria Move on Christian Persecution

Rapper Nicki Minaj publicly thanked President Donald Trump for calling out the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria — a move that adds celebrity weight to a complex foreign-policy flashpoint.

In early November 2025, President Donald Trump and the White House announced via social media that if the Nigerian government failed to stop what he characterized as mass-killings of Christians, the United States would immediately halt aid and had directed the Pentagon to prepare for “possible action.” 

He said, “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter.”

Simultaneously, Nigeria was placed back on the U.S. list of “Countries of Particular Concern” (CPC) for religious freedom violations, a symbolic diplomatic move that opens the door to potential sanctions. 

Nigeria’s government strongly rejected Trump’s characterization, with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu stating that “the characterization of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality,” according to The Guardian.

Shortly afterwards, Nicki Minaj weighed in. Posting on X with a screenshot of the President’s message, she wrote, “Thank you to The President & his team for taking this seriously. God bless every persecuted Christian. Let’s remember to lift them up in prayer.” 

She added, “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.”

Trump’s move signals a return to a more assertive U.S. posture toward religious-freedom issues abroad, particularly where evangelical groups see Christians as under attack.