After a joint appearance with President Trump this week, the rapper Nicki Minaj flaunted what appeared to be a pricey gift that caught the attention of the hip-hop and immigration advocacy communities alike.
She posted an image of a Trump “gold card,” the expedited visa offered to those willing to pay $1 million. But Ms. Minaj, who just hours before said she was Mr. Trump’s “No. 1 fan,” suggested that she had not spent a dime.
“Welp …” Ms. Minaj posted alongside the image of the card bearing Mr. Trump’s face alongside the Statue of Liberty.
“Finalizing that citizenship paperwork as we speak as per MY wonderful, gracious, charming President,” added Ms. Minaj, who has said previously that she came to the United States illegally. “I wouldn’t have done it without you.”
And if that was not clear enough: “Gold Trump card free of charge,” she wrote, alongside an image of the horror-film character Chucky giving the middle finger.
The post prompted questions. Had a Grammy-nominated rap star — and one of Mr. Trump’s newest political allies — circumvented the backlogged immigration system to receive a luxury visa for free?
Turns out, all Ms. Minaj got was a gold-colored card bearing Mr. Trump’s face. A White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to describe the gift, said the gold card was simply a “memento” rather than a “visa document.”
Despite her flexing, the card would probably serve little value to Ms. Minaj, who already appears to have legal status.
A Homeland Security Department official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to clarify the gold card gift, said Ms. Minaj had been a legal permanent resident for roughly two decades, meaning she was already eligible to petition for citizenship.
The gold card, which officially debuted last month, is available to would-be immigrants for a nonrefundable $15,000 processing fee. After applicants are vetted and approved by the Homeland Security Department, they then have to pay $1 million to obtain U.S. residency and become lawful permanent residents. Immigrant advocates have denounced the program, saying it will unfairly prioritize the admission of wealthy individuals, while some have also questioned the legality of the visa program.
But in her posts on Wednesday, Ms. Minaj, who is originally from Trinidad and Tobago and was raised in Queens, said she was “finalizing” her citizenship paperwork, meaning she already has lawful permanent residency.
Her representatives did not respond to requests for comment, clarification on her immigration status or what she thought she was gaining by receiving the gold card.
Regardless, the White House was quick to celebrate Ms. Minaj.
“oh she’s super BASED,” according to the White House X account, a conglomeration of the Minaj song “Super Bass” and a slang word used to describe a bold move or someone who projects disregard for how others feel about their actions.
Ms. Minaj’s new role as a darling of MAGA is an unlikely role given her past position of being a critic of Mr. Trump’s policies. In a 2018 post on Facebook, Ms. Minaj noted that she came to the country illegally and took direct aim at Mr. Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy of separating migrant children from their parents.
“I can’t imagine the horror of being in a strange place & having my parents stripped away from me at the age of 5,” Ms. Minaj said at the time alongside an image of migrant children lying on mats in a detention facility. “This is so scary to me. Please stop this. Can you try to imagine the terror & panic these kids feel right now?”
She has taken on a different tone since then, causing consternation among many of her fans.
In November, Ms. Minaj appeared at a United Nations event to speak in support of Mr. Trump’s disputed claim that Christians were being systematically targeted in Nigeria.
Her support has prompted Vice President JD Vance to weigh in on Ms. Minaj’s rivalry with the rapper Cardi B. “Nicki>Cardi,” Mr. Vance said on social media.
Ms. Minaj made a surprise appearance onstage with Erika Kirk, the widow of the conservative activist Charlie Kirk, at Turning Point USA’s annual gathering last month in Arizona and praised Mr. Trump and Mr. Vance.
“This administration is full of people with heart and soul,” Ms. Minaj said.
And on Wednesday, Ms. Minaj appeared with Mr. Trump at an event celebrating a new savings and investment program for children. She said that “the hate or what people have to say, it does not affect me at all.”
“It actually motivates me to support him more,” Ms. Minaj said as Mr. Trump smiled behind her.
Zolan Kanno-Youngs is a White House correspondent for The Times, covering President Trump and his administration.
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