<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Rapper Nicki Minaj has made a surprise appearance at a gathering of conservatives in Arizona that was memorialising late activist Charlie Kirk, and used her time on stage to praise President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, calling them “role models” for young men.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The rap star was interviewed at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest convention by Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, about her newly found support for Trump, someone she had condemned in the past, and about her actions denouncing violence against Christians in Nigeria.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The female rapper's recent alignment with the Make America Great Again movement has caught some interest because of her past criticism of Trump even when the artist's own political ideology had been difficult to pin down.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/jim-beam-pauses-production-at-main-distillery-as-bourbon-inventories-rise/3f93318e-e7c2-44d9-93d2-1cde6a809105" rel="" target="" title="Jim Beam to pause production in the US as drinkers slow down on bourbon"><strong><span>Jim Beam to pause production in the US as drinkers slow down on bourbon</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But her appearance on Sunday (Monday AEST) at the flagship event for the powerful conservative youth organisation may shore up her status as a MAGA acolyte.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Minaj mocked California Governor Gavin Newsom, referring to him as New-scum, a nickname Trump gave him.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Newsom, a Democrat, has 2028 prospects.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/nicki-minaj-surprises-conservatives-with-praise-for-trump-vance-at-arizona-event/4d5e1542-6593-4a54-b2a9-318b701ba4d6" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Minaj expressed admiration for the Republican president and Vance, who received an endorsement from Erika Kirk despite the fact he has not said whether he would run for president.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Kirk took over as leader of Turning Point.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>“This administration is full of people with heart and soul, and they make me proud of them.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Our vice president, he makes me ... well, I love both of them,” Minaj said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>“Both of them have a very uncanny ability to be someone that you relate to.”</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Minaj’s appearance included an awkward moment when, in an attempt to praise Vance’s political skills, she described him as an “assassin".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-jeffrey-epstein-photo-apparently-removed-from-department-of-justice-website-usa/d6e5a023-a4d4-4e5f-9ad5-e36ace75dad1"><strong><span>Trump photo restored to US government's 'Epstein library'</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She paused, seemingly regretting her word choice, and after Kirk appeared to wipe a tear from one of her eyes, the artist put her hand over her mouth while the crowd murmured.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>“If the internet wants to clip it, who cares? I love this woman,” said Erika Kirk, who became a widow when Charlie Kirk was assassinated in September.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Last month, the rapper shared a message posted by Trump on his Truth Social network about potential actions to sanction Nigeria, saying the government is failing to rein in the persecution of Christians in the West African country.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Experts and residents say the violence that has long plagued Nigeria isn’t so simply explained.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>“Reading this made me feel a deep sense of gratitude. We live in a country where we can freely worship God,” Minaj shared on X.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She was then invited to speak at a panel at the US mission to the United Nations along with US Ambassador Mike Waltz and faith leaders.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/us-forces-stop-a-second-merchant-vessel-off-the-coast-of-venezuela-american-officials-say/efd5d314-5b24-4a18-b88d-7565a45549bc"><strong><span>US seizes second vessel off the coast of Venezuela</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Minaj said she was tired of being “pushed around,” and said that speaking your mind with different ideas was controversial because “people are no longer using their minds.”</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Kirk thanked Minaj for being “courageous,” despite the backlash she is receiving from the entertainment industry for expressing support for Trump.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>“I didn’t notice,” Minaj said. “We don’t even think about them.”</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Kirk then said “we don’t have time to. We’re too busy building, right?”</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>“We’re the cool kids,” Minaj said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Trinidadian-born rapper is best known for her hits </span><em><span>Super Freaky Girl</span></em><span>, </span><em><span>Anaconda</span></em><span> and </span><em><span>Starships.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She has been nominated for 12 Grammy Awards over the course of her career.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In 2018, Minaj was one of several celebrities condemning Trump’s zero-tolerance immigration policy that split more than 5000 children from their families at the Mexico border.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Back then, she shared her own story of arriving to the country at five years old, describing herself as an “illegal immigrant.”</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>“This is so scary to me. Please stop this. Can you try to imagine the terror &amp; panic these kids feel right now?” she posted then on Instagram.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>On Sunday on stage with Erika Kirk, Minaj said, “it’s OK to change your mind.”</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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