Nicki Minaj has been making headlines recently following her very public support for President Donald Trump. During the Trump Accounts Summit, the “Super Bass” rapper surprised everyone again when she walked into a room full of MAGA supporters and found herself pulled onstage by the POTUS himself.
Darren Stanton, a body language analyst, watched the footage and had a pretty simple take: something felt off. “Nicki clearly supports Trump, but when he called her up there, she looked trapped,” Stanton, on behalf of Covers, told UNILAD.
The rapper seemed genuinely uncomfortable, maybe because Trump’s invite came out of nowhere, or maybe the sheer weight of standing next to him in that moment just caught her off guard.
Everything Trump touches dies, and that includes Nicki Minaj’s career.
pic.twitter.com/QPXrE92SOO
— Canada Hates Trump (@AntiTrumpCanada) January 28, 2026
For anyone following Nicki Minaj’s career, her recent support for Donald Trump has been jarring. She grew up in Trinidad, moved to Queens at five years old, and once described her own childhood immigration status in stark terms while criticizing his border policies. Now she’s become one of his most vocal defenders.
People weren’t having it—deportation petitions hit six figures. Nicki Minaj didn’t flinch. Still, showing up to tweet support is different from standing next to the guy. At the Trump Accounts Summit, he reached out to hug her. She went for a handshake instead. Awkward doesn’t quite cover it.
“He held his arms out as if to give her a hug, but she just shook his hand, which was quite awkward,” Darren Stanton put it bluntly. Even getting to the podium looked rough. She sat up front but took forever to actually walk up. Stanton caught that, too.
🙏🏽🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/OYhclnEeCK
— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) January 28, 2026
“She was at the front of the stage, but it took her quite a bit of time to get on the stage—which is significant,” he noted. The hesitation was all over her body language.
Once the mic was in her hand, Nicki Minaj rallied. Called herself his “number one fan” and fired back at everyone dragging her. “We’re not going to let them get away with bullying him and the smear campaigns,” she said.
Donald Trump cracked jokes about her pink nails, said maybe he’d grow his out to match. But Stanton wasn’t buying the confident act.
To all the women that Nicki Minaj has publicly criticized, insulted and shamed on social media and high profile disputes I hope this photo gives them all some great satisfaction. pic.twitter.com/D7x4LS3yk0
— Marlene Robertson🇨🇦 (@marlene4719) January 29, 2026
Yet Stanton remained unconvinced by her apparent confidence. He noted her heavy breathing didn’t appear rehearsed, suggesting the moment genuinely surprised her. Her walk to the stage gave everything away—slow and labored, as if she needed encouragement. Nicki Minaj paused repeatedly while speaking, searching for words. Her posture lacked the natural fluidity of someone completely at ease.
The analyst pointed to her overall movement and bearing. People who walk with a genuine purpose take bigger strides and move more quickly, Stanton explained. Nicki Minaj’s posture and gait showed hesitancy throughout. Her movements appeared labored, and she seemed to need coaxing just to take the stage.
— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) January 28, 2026
The body language analysis painted a complex picture. Nicki Minaj’s support for Trump appears genuine. But being thrust into the spotlight directly beside him created visible tension. She came prepared to deliver remarks, but the physical proximity and spontaneous nature of Donald Trump’s invitation seemed to shake her composure in ways her prepared remarks couldn’t fully mask.
