At the Grammys on Sunday night, Trevor Noah reminded everyone that pop culture and politics still share a stage in this world. Safe to say, MAGA did not enjoy that fact.
Noah was hosting the 2026 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles and, in his opening monologue, spoke of President Donald Trump‘s friendship with Nicki Minaj. The bit sent conservative social media into a frenzy before the first Grammy Award was handed out.
First, Noah said that Minaj wasn’t in the building and she was still at the White House with Trump discussing “very important issues.” This part drew cheers from the crowd. Then he slipped into an impression of the 79-year-old president, where he acted out a fictional exchange between Trump and the rapper. The punchline was that Trump boasted about having “the biggest” everything.
Soon, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung unloaded on Noah on X.
He revived grievances from the comedian’s Daily Show tenure and dismissed the Grammys as an unserious, politically infected event. Trump adviser Alex Bruesewitz then called Noah talentless and said the Grammys are irrelevant, that their ratings dropped because of “stupid political stunts.” He also defended Minaj, as he believes she is more successful than anyone at the Grammys.
Trevor Noah at the #Grammys: “Nicki Minaj is not here. She’s still at the White House with Donald Trump discussing very important issues” pic.twitter.com/wJOP0WMHGz
— Deadline (@DEADLINE) February 2, 2026
Then came Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, who warned not to “belittle Barbz and MAGA at the same time.”
Minaj, on the other hand, has aligned with Trump recently. She has spent the past month in the MAGA world and supporting the “Trump Accounts” initiative. She was also seen in a TikTok with him and attended the Kennedy Center premiere of Melania Trump’s documentary. Last week, Minaj joined Trump at a Treasury Department summit where she held his hand and praised him.
She has also described herself as the president’s “number one fan” and that criticizing her will only make her support Trump. Plus, when the Grammys were being broadcast, she went on a posting spree on X as she shared MAGA conspiracies and attacked Noah personally. Minaj also threw unfounded claims about his private life.
After appearing with Trump, though, Minaj posted images of what looked like a Trump “Gold Card,” which is a residency option for wealthy immigrants. So people started asking if she received a $1 million visa for free. According to The New York Times, a White House official clarified that the card was just a gold-colored memento, and not an actual immigration document. Then a Homeland Security official said Minaj has been a legal permanent resident for two decades and is eligible to pursue citizenship anyway.
Nicki Minaj posted a photo of a “Gold card” Trump granted her, which gives legal residency and a path to U.S. citizenship.
Now it all makes sense. pic.twitter.com/nOSRb2xsRE
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) January 28, 2026
Still, immigrant advocates criticized the program, and her fans were shocked at the contrast between Minaj’s current stance and her earlier criticism of Trump’s immigration policies. Turns out the rapper had also disagreed with family separation practices.
Against that backdrop, Noah’s joke clearly became a pressure point.
