To say people were unhappy with Nicki Minaj showing up at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest last month would be putting it lightly. The Trinidadian rapper’s fairly sudden embrace of conservative politics has not sat well with many longtime fans or the wider public. For some, that frustration has gone beyond online reactions and turned into something more formal.
In case you missed it, tens of thousands of people are now backing a petition calling for Nicki Minaj’s deportation. According to Billboard, roughly 50,000 individuals have signed the document, which has been circulating on Change.org since December 27.
Beneath an image of Minaj high fiving Erika Kirk, the widowed wife of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, the petition’s description lays out the disappointment surrounding Nicki’s recent political stance.
“This is personal for those of us who watched Nicki rise as a beacon of hope, only to feel abandoned by her shift in values.”
The statement goes on to say, “Her public platform carries weight and responsibility, and her recent statements are a stark contrast to the solidarity she once showed, leaving many feeling deflated and disillusioned. Deporting Nicki Minaj back to Trinidad would serve as a reminder that public figures need to be accountable for their words and the broader impact they have on diverse communities.”
For now, it remains to be seen whether any of this leads to real consequences. That said, Nicki previously shared in 2024 that she is not a U.S. citizen. She has also said in the past that she entered the United States illegally when she was five years old.
Despite the Trump administration’s hardline approach to undocumented immigration, Nicki has continued to stand by the former president.
Her public support began in October 2025 and gained even more attention in November when she applauded his comments about the reported persecution of Christians in Nigeria. Beyond social media, she also addressed the issue in a speech at a United Nations event.
“I would like to thank President Trump for prioritizing this issue,” she said. “And his leadership on the global stage in calling for urgent action to defend Christians in Nigeria and to combat extremism and to bring a stop to violence against those who simply want to express their natural right to freedom of religion or belief.”
NEWS
Oliver Tree’s team has provided a new update following the singer’s death in a helicopter crash on June 14, confirming that a new artist grant will soon be established in his memory to help creatives secure funding, a plan he had detailed in his will before his passing.
Accompanying a collection of photos highlighting Tree’s performances, travels and creative work through the years, a post shared Sunday (June 21) on his Instagram account revealed that the musician’s remains have been brought back to California, the state he called home and where he will be laid to rest. “His legacy will live on through his foundation/endowment named ‘Dr. Oliver Tree’s Extremely Epic Grant For Baby Geniuses’ coming soon,” the caption reads. “This is something that Oliver had put together before his passing.”
“We will make sure his wish comes to fruition so that more joy, love and art can be spread into the world, that was his final wish,” the statement continued, adding that “the constant love, support and positivity” shown by fans throughout the past week has helped his “family, friends and collaborators make it through these extremely difficult times.”
Tree was among six people who lost their lives in a helicopter collision in Rio de Janeiro. The musician was in Brazil for his The World’s First Tour run and had performed what would ultimately be his final concert on June 6 in São Paulo. The other victims of the crash were identified as passengers Lucas Vignale, Gaspar Prim and Lucas Brito Chaves, along with pilots Alexandre Souza and Charles Marsillac.
Just months before his death, Tree discussed his plans to direct his fortune and future earnings from his music toward a grant program for artists during an appearance on the Zach Sang Show. “I take no credit for anything I’ve ever done,” he said during the April interview. “Furthermore, I don’t believe that any of the wealth or things that get made from it is mine. So when I die … my will is set up so that when I pass, my family, nobody is going to get a penny.”
“If I have a wife or kids or anything, they’re not getting a penny,” he added at the time, explaining that the initiative would focus on helping artists create work rather than funding education. “I’ll get my kids through college, that’s the agreement, but there’s not gonna be a silver spoon. All the money is going to go back to artists.”
