Veteran actress and model Amber Rose is publicly defending her friend, superstar rapper Nicki Minaj, as the latter continues receiving widespread criticism for supporting President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, among other conservative and right-wing figures.
Speaking during a livestream on Thursday with social media personality Sneako, Rose said that she introduced Minaj to Trump. The “Super Bass” rapper and the president posed for pictures while holding hands at the U.S. Treasury Department’s Trump Accounts Summit earlier this week.
Minaj’s newfound embrace of Trump has not come without backlash, though. Her supporters, known as the Barbz, have accused her of turning her back on her fans and her morals. Minaj has long positioned herself as an ally to the LGBTQ community, but fans have become frustrated with her after she posted anti-trans commentary and repeatedly criticized California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
However, Minaj has also reported significant increases in her social media follower count and music metrics, including streaming numbers and music video views.
“I’ll never fully understand why she’s getting flack, because she’s helping people,” Rose said. “Regardless, if you don’t agree with her political views, she’s still helping people.”
Nicki Minaj: “I am probably the president’s number one fan” pic.twitter.com/fwgLuxwyfQ
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 28, 2026
Minaj called herself the president’s “number one fan” during her appearance at the summit and said that the criticism has only motivated her to increase her support. Trump called her the “queen of rap” in a TikTok video, and she referred to him as the “best president of all time.”
“We’re not going to let them get away with bullying him and the smear campaigns,” Minaj said at the summit. “It’s not gonna work, OK?”
Rose and Minaj, whose relationship dates back more than 15 years, can both relate to shifting opinions on Trump. Ahead of the 2016 election, Rose called Trump “such an idiot” and “so weird.” Nearly a decade later, she formally endorsed him during the 2024 Republican National Convention.
Minaj, meanwhile, was a longtime critic of Trump and his stance on immigration. The “Starships” rapper revealed in 2024 that she is not a U.S. citizen, though she moved to the United States at age five. She has since become a fierce supporter of the Trump administration and sat for an interview with Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest in December.
— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) January 28, 2026
Minaj was among the notable figures who attended the screening of “Melania” on Thursday evening.
Rose also had harsh words for actress Ariana Grande, who encouraged her Instagram followers to participate in National Shutdown Day. The movement calls for Americans to forgo working, attending school, and spending money on Friday, Jan. 30, as part of nationwide protests tied to federal immigration policy. National Shutdown Day gained enough traction that multiple Colorado school districts canceled classes after determining they would be short-staffed, as teachers and staff planned to participate in the protests.
“I think anyone that tells people to not go to work, not go to school, not [expletive] buy things for their family, and they’re worth $250-300 million dollars, they should shut the [expletive] up,” Rose said.
