Nicki Minaj Tells Young Voters to "Vote Red" on Fox News as 2026 Midterms Approach

Rapper Nicki Minaj urged young Americans to "vote red" in the Nov. 3, 2026 midterm elections during an appearance on Fox News's "My View with Lara Trump" on Saturday, Sept. 26, telling viewers that "now is not the time to think that your voice will not be heard" and that "your voice is very necessary right now for the country and for the world," according to a New York Post report published early Sunday. The 43-year-old artist, who has aligned herself with President Donald Trump over the past year, also encouraged participation beyond presidential contests, saying "the only way to have that is by voting, not just voting for the president, but just voting in all of the local elections." On Trump himself, Minaj said "he brings this candid, unedited vibe to the White House that we've never before seen," calling it "refreshing because for a very long time, people started feeling like we don't know who we can trust," and added, "I've made it my mission to be someone that supports him." She criticized Democrats as "petty and childish," saying the party has "gotten way too caught up in pop culture" and "allowed their relationships with artists to cause them to act like children." The interview was also covered by The Times of India, whose entertainment desk reported the remarks the same weekend.

What happened

Minaj's appearance on the program hosted by Lara Trump, the president's daughter-in-law, marked one of her most explicit endorsements of the president and the Republican Party to date. She framed youth turnout as the decisive factor in the upcoming midterms, arguing that influence over national direction depends on engagement at every level of the ballot, not only in presidential years, per the New York Post.

Her praise of Trump centered on his communication style. "He brings this candid, unedited vibe to the White House that we've never before seen," she said, according to the Times of India, which noted the president is 80. She described her support as a personal mission rather than a one-time political statement.

Her criticism of the Democratic Party focused on its relationship with entertainers. She said Democrats have "gotten way too caught up in pop culture" and have "allowed their relationships with artists to cause them to act like children," characterizing the party's conduct as "petty and childish."

Minaj's political turn did not begin with this interview. She recently partnered with the Trump administration as a celebrity judge for the Small Business Administration's Million Dollar Pitch Competition, and she attended a Treasury Department summit in Washington, DC earlier this year in support of the president. Trump has publicly called her "a fantastic person."

Why it matters

Celebrity endorsements have historically been associated with Democratic candidates, and Minaj's public embrace of Trump and the Republican ticket represents a notable shift in that dynamic heading into a midterm cycle. Her appeal was directed specifically at young voters, a demographic whose turnout patterns in non-presidential elections often shape control of Congress.

The interview also sits within a pattern of the Trump administration's public engagement with cultural figures. Minaj's roles with the Small Business Administration and the Treasury Department, followed by a friendly platform on a Fox News program hosted by a member of the president's family, are the kind of appearances the administration has used to bring high-profile entertainers into its public-facing work, though neither the New York Post nor the Times of India characterizes the appearances as part of any formal strategy.

The story carries personal context that critics have raised. According to the coverage notes compiled by Ground News, backlash online focused on the fact that Minaj herself cannot vote in U.S. elections: the Trinidad and Tobago-born star said earlier this year that she is "finalizing" citizenship paperwork after receiving a Trump Gold Card. Critics also referenced her husband, Kenneth Petty, who served seven years in prison after a 2006 manslaughter plea, and her brother, Jelani Maraj. These criticisms circulated on social media rather than in the interview itself, and Minaj's stated position in the appearance was focused on civic participation and her support for the president.

How it is being covered

The New York Post's write-up, published at 3:28 a.m. ET on Sept. 27 and credited to Michael Sinkewicz, is sourced from Fox News and presents the interview largely through Minaj's own quotes, with the headline framing her as "doubling down" on Trump support. The Times of India's treatment, filed by its entertainment desk, leads on her continued support for the president and quotes the same "candid, unedited vibe" line, framing the story primarily as entertainment news rather than electoral politics. Ground News's coverage tracker lists 30 sources carrying the story, with a 13/20/67 percent split among Left-leaning, Centre and Right-leaning outlets, and flags the story as a blindspot on the Left: only 2 of 15 rated sources are Left-leaning, with an overall skew measured at -54. Of the rated sources, 3 of 15 are rated high factuality, 10 mixed and 2 low, per Ground News.

What to watch

• Whether Minaj's "vote red" appeal translates into measurable youth engagement ahead of the Nov. 3, 2026 midterms, and whether other entertainers follow her in publicly supporting the president.
• Whether her citizenship status is finalized before election day, which would determine whether she can vote in the contests she is urging others to join.
• Whether Democratic figures or artists respond on the record to her characterization of the party as "petty and childish."
• Whether further administration collaborations with Minaj, such as additional Small Business Administration or Treasury events, are announced before the midterms.

By the numbers

Source snapshot