Rapper Nicki Minaj joins Trump onstage at Michigan rally
The Super Bass singer is the latest big name to campaign in Michigan, where a tight Senate race is playing out ahead of the 3 November midterms.
Rapper Nicki Minaj joins Trump onstage at Michigan rally
Rapper Nicki Minaj said US President Donald Trump has "changed the energy of the country" as she appeared with him at a Michigan rally to campaign for Republicans ahead of the nationwide midterm elections.
"He's given us a future to look forward to," she said after Trump praised her figure and invited her on stage to speak.
Minaj has described herself as Trump's "number one fan" even though she has criticised some of his policies from his first term.
In Michigan, Democratic Senate candidate Abdul-El Sayed is in a close contest with Republican Mike Rogers, with just over a week left before the midterms. Former President Barack Obama held a rally with the Democrat on Saturday - one of the first in this cycle.
Democrats are also campaigning hard, with tight races set for 3 November that will determine which party controls Congress for the rest of Trump's presidency.
In his remarks on Sunday, Trump concentrated on El-Sayed's Muslim faith and background, claiming he would "invite jihadists" into America if he wins.
El-Sayed has condemned similar comments from Trump as Islamophobic, saying in an ad to voters last week that the US president "thinks he can use my name and my faith to distract us from the suffering his policies are inflicting on us at the pump, at the grocery store, and at the doctor's office".
In Port Huron on Sunday, Minaj, dressed in a gold-coloured Gucci-branded suit, led the crowd in chanting Trump's name and the names of Republican candidates in Michigan.
"We really need all these great people to be elected, because this is a major turning point for our country," she said.
"She never looked more beautiful," Trump said as she left the stage. "She gets it. She's smart," he added.
Earlier in his speech, Trump praised the rear end of one male Republican candidate before shifting the crowd's attention to Minaj.
"By the way, I looked at a beautiful ass before," he segued. "Nicki Minaj. That's hard to miss."
He then asked her to "stand up" as the crowd cheered, and said he hoped she was not "insulted" by his comment.
The Super Bass singer had travelled with Trump to the state aboard Air Force One. She recorded a video with an aide - later posted to X - on the president's plane, pretending to be interviewing for the White House press secretary role.
The position is currently vacant after Katie Zacharia left five days after a shaky public debut.
The Trinidad and Tobago-born rapper has backed Trump with her star power before, including on his claims that Christians face persecution in Nigeria and his "gold card" visa, which gives applicants residency and a path to US citizenship.