Nicki Minaj’s AmericaFest Speech Ignites Massive Backlash As Petition To Deport Hits 35,000

More than 53,000 people have signed a Change.org petition demanding rapper Nicki Minaj’s deportation to Trinidad and Tobago following her controversial December 21, 2024 appearance at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest conference in Phoenix, Arizona.

Created by Tristan Hamilton, the petition titled “Deport Nicki Minaj back to Trinidad” targets federal agencies including ICE, the FBI, and the White House, citing her “harmful rhetoric” and political alignment with the MAGA movement.​

Minaj’s Surprise MAGA Moment

At AmericaFest, Minaj joined Erika Kirk—widow of assassinated Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk—for an onstage conversation showcasing her embrace of conservative politics. The rapper praised President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance as “role models,” mocked California Governor Gavin Newsom, and made her most controversial statement: “Boys, be boys. It’s okay.

Be boys. There’s nothing wrong with being a boy,” prompting immediate backlash from LGBTQ+ advocates who interpreted the remarks as transphobic.​​

Immigration Status Revealed

Minaj, born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago on December 8, 1982, is not a U.S. citizen. She confirmed during a September 2024 TikTok Live session that she holds a green card but lacks citizenship despite living in America since age five, arriving initially as an undocumented immigrant.

She expressed frustration that despite paying “millions of dollars” in taxes, she hasn’t received “honorary citizenship,” adding bitter irony to her alignment with a restrictive immigration enforcement movement.​

Legal Experts: Deportation Highly Unlikely

Immigration law experts emphasize the petition carries no legal binding authority, as Change.org petitions cannot compel federal agencies to initiate removal proceedings. Green card holders can only be deported for specific statutory grounds including criminal convictions, immigration fraud, or abandonment of residence.

Minaj has no deportable offenses, and the Trump administration she now supports would have zero political incentive to pursue deportation against a high-profile celebrity ally. ​

Husband’s Criminal Past Resurfaces

The petition prominently features Minaj’s husband, Kenneth Petty, a Level 2 registered sex offender convicted in 1995 of attempted rape of a 16-year-old girl. Petty received one year home confinement in 2022 for failing to register as a sex offender in California and faced additional house arrest in 2023 for threatening rapper Offset.

The petition alleges Minaj “continues to fiercely defend him, reportedly intimidating and threatening his victims,” referencing a 2021 harassment lawsuit filed by Petty’s rape victim.​

LGBTQ+ Community Feels Betrayed

The LGBTQ+ community, which long embraced Minaj as a queer icon following her theatrical personas, gender-bending fashion, and 2023 guest appearance on RuPaul’s Drag Race, has reacted with particular fury. Critics argue her “boys should be boys” statement echoes conservative rhetoric opposing transgender healthcare and school inclusion policies.

Reports emerged of LGBTQ+ venues and DJs quietly removing Minaj’s music from playlists, though these claims remain largely anecdotal.​

Hip-Hop Heavyweights Cut Ties

Influential hip-hop podcaster Joe Budden publicly severed his relationship with Minaj, calling her AmericaFest appearance “very anti-Black” and stating: “I’m finished. That was it. Don’t reach out to me, don’t text me.” Rapper Khia delivered a profanity-laden video rant accusing Minaj of opportunism, referencing Kenneth Petty’s criminal history.

Marc Lamont Hill noted he expected Minaj’s trajectory: “I recall when I first critiqued Nicki mentioning she was echoing MAGA talking points, and the Barbs came at me”.​

The Charlie Kirk Paradox

In April 2024, months before his September assassination, Charlie Kirk publicly criticized Minaj as an unsuitable role model for “18-year-old Black girls.” Video of these remarks resurfaced immediately after Minaj’s December appearance, highlighting the cognitive dissonance of her honoring an organization whose late founder denigrated her.

Kirk, 31, was fatally shot on September 10, 2024 during an outdoor campus debate at Utah Valley University; suspect Tyler Robinson, 22, faces aggravated murder charges.​

Awkward “Assassin” Gaffe

During her AmericaFest conversation, Minaj committed an awkward gaffe by referring to Vice President Vance as “the assassin JD Vance” while speaking to Erika Kirk, whose husband had just been assassinated.

Erika Kirk graciously dismissed the comment, stating: “I know her heart, and it doesn’t even matter. Words are just words.” The widow formally introduced Minaj as a “courageous” figure willing to express conservative views despite industry backlash.​

Political Evolution Timeline

Minaj’s political trajectory reveals complex evolution. In 2012, she rapped “I’m a Republican voting for Mitt Romney”—later characterized as satirical. By 2018, she forcefully opposed Trump’s family separation policy, invoking her experience arriving as an undocumented child.

The shift accelerated in 2024: she spoke at the United Nations advocating for persecuted Christians, feuded with Governor Newsom over transgender youth support, and shared White House social media posts using her music to tout Trump administration accomplishments.​

Instagram Deactivation Controversy

Shortly after AmericaFest, reports circulated that Minaj had deactivated her Instagram account and lost “nearly 10 million followers,” suggesting a direct response to backlash. However, Forbes investigation revealed Minaj’s Instagram was deactivated in October 2024, months before the controversy.

The claim of losing 10 million followers appears to be misinformation amplified by viral social media posts lacking verification. ​

Petition Creator’s Motivation

Petition creator Tristan Hamilton framed the campaign as a matter of personal betrayal and accountability, stating: “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 document emphasizes that her “public platform carries weight and responsibility” and recent statements represent “a stark contrast to the solidarity she once showed,” targeting her non-citizen status as grounds for federal immigration review.​

Trinidad and Tobago Reacts

In Trinidad and Tobago, Minaj’s birthplace, reactions have been decidedly mixed. Local media outlets CNC3 News and The Guardian extensively covered the petition, with social media comments from Trinidadians ranging from rejection—”we don’t want her,” “keep she right there”—to more measured responses: “She worked and paid taxes in the U.S. She’s not wanted in Trinidad.”

The controversy has prompted broader conversations about diaspora identity and whether Minaj can claim meaningful connection to Trinidad beyond birthplace.​

Vice President Vance’s Praise

Vice President JD Vance explicitly praised Minaj’s AmericaFest remarks, highlighting her statement that wanting Black girls to feel beautiful doesn’t require undermining girls with blonde hair and blue eyes. He used this framing to argue against what conservatives characterize as divisive identity politics, declaring: “In the United States of America, you don’t have to apologize for being white anymore.”

Vance positioned Minaj—as a Black immigrant woman—as cultural validation for dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.​

Celebrity Political Risk

The controversy illustrates high stakes of celebrity political alignment. Minaj has traded substantial goodwill among LGBTQ+ fans, progressive hip-hop figures, and cultural commentators for approval from a conservative movement. Historical precedent offers mixed lessons: Lil Wayne endorsed Trump and received a pardon; Kanye West’s erratic pro-Trump campaign likely damaged both figures.

The Wall Street Journal posed the question: “Could Minaj’s support help Republicans with young voters in 2026 and Vance in 2028?”.​

Bernice King’s Pointed Response

Bernice King, CEO of The King Center and daughter of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., issued a pointed response to Vice President Vance’s AmericaFest declaration: “In my 62 years, I don’t recall white people ever having to apologize for being white in America.”

Though King did not name Minaj directly, her statement contextualized the broader ideological environment in which the rapper’s remarks resonated, framing the conservative victimhood narrative as a distortion of accountability for historical injustice.​

No Public Response from Minaj

As of late December 2024, Minaj has issued no public statement directly addressing the deportation petition, nor has she addressed Joe Budden’s public criticism, broader hip-hop community backlash, or concerns raised by LGBTQ+ advocates. Her Instagram deactivation may represent an indirect response, though the timeline remains contested.

This silence follows a pattern established during previous controversies, including her 2021 COVID-19 vaccine misinformation episode, where strategic withdrawal preceded eventual addressing through music or carefully timed statements.​

The Limits of Digital Activism

The petition’s cultural significance far exceeds its legal viability. Change.org has hosted over 5 billion signatures across various causes, with over 100,000 petitions achieving victories—typically by pressuring corporate or local government decision-makers rather than compelling federal action.

Celebrity deportation petitions function primarily as symbolic expressions of public disapproval. The 53,000+ signatures demonstrate genuine sentiment, but the gap between digital expression and institutional power remains vast in federal immigration enforcement matters.​

Cultural Exile as Metaphor

For the 53,000+ signatories, the petition represents a symbolic referendum on celebrity accountability. Deportation functions as metaphor for cultural exile—removal from the national community Minaj has inhabited for nearly four decades. That this exile can only be symbolic rather than legal underscores both the power and limits of digital activism.

The petition’s emotional core—betrayal by a trusted cultural figure—reflects deeper anxieties about loyalty, authenticity, and responsibilities of influence in an era where political allegiances increasingly define cultural belonging.​

What Happens Next

The petition will almost certainly fail to achieve deportation, but Minaj faces potential long-term cultural consequences including diminished music sales, reduced touring opportunities in progressive markets, and permanent estrangement from LGBTQ+ audiences who constituted a core fanbase.

Whether she doubles down on MAGA politics, attempts reconciliation with alienated communities, or benefits from tangible administration support—such as a pardon for her husband or honorary citizenship—will shape her career trajectory and serve as a case study in celebrity political risk management.​