Grammy Awards host Trevor Noah mocked rapper Nicki Minaj’s recent embrace of President Donald Trump during his opening monologue, then later drew a sharp response from Trump after a separate Epstein-related joke, according to reports of the broadcast and Trump’s post on Truth Social.
Trevor Noah used his opening monologue at the Grammy Awards to joke about Nicki Minaj’s absence and her recent public support for President Donald Trump.
“Nicki Minaj is not here,” Noah said. “She’s still at the White House with Donald Trump, discussing very important issues,” according to The Daily Wire’s account of the remarks and corroborating reports.
Noah then slipped into a Trump impression and referenced Cardi B’s song “WAP,” joking: “Actually Nicki, I have the biggest ass! Everybody’s saying it. I know they say it’s you, but it’s me. WAP, WAP, WAP. Look at it. Look at it, baby,” reports said.
The Daily Wire reported that some celebrities in the audience wore “ICE OUT” buttons, and that the crowd reacted with laughter.
The Daily Wire also reported that Minaj has expressed support for Trump in recent months and quoted her as saying the criticism has only strengthened her backing. In the same account, Minaj was quoted saying: “The hate, or what people have to say, it does not affect me at all. It actually motivates me to support him more. And it’s going to motivate all of us to support him more.” The outlet also quoted her adding: “We’re not going to let them get away with bullying him. He has a lot of force behind him, and God is protecting him. Amen.”
Trump’s reaction focused on a different part of the show. In a Truth Social post cited by The Daily Wire and separately reported by The Guardian, Trump criticized Noah for an Epstein-related joke and threatened legal action, writing that Noah “better get his facts straight” and that he would have lawyers “sue this poor, pathetic, talentless, dope of an M.C., and suing him for plenty$.”
In his post, Trump disputed any suggestion that he had been on Jeffrey Epstein’s private island.
The exchange reflects the increasingly sharp political crosscurrents surrounding celebrity endorsements and high-profile entertainment events.
