Nicki Minaj is drawing criticism online after joining a new business competition backed by the Trump administration. The rapper will serve as one of the judges for the Small Business Administration’s Million Dollar Pitch Competition in Washington, D.C., on September 18.
Nicki Minaj is facing backlash after joining Donald Trump’s Million Dollar Pitch
As reported by Fox News, the event will feature five entrepreneurs competing for a share of a $1 million prize pool. Minaj will judge the finalists alongside Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia and private equity fund manager Grant Cardone. The host of the competition will be actor Dean Cain.
The finalists were judged on several factors. These included American competitiveness, economic impact, business fundamentals and job creation. The first-place winner will receive $400,000. The second-place winner will get $250,000, while the third-place winner will receive $150,000.
The competition has also been compared to Donald Trump’s former reality show, The Apprentice, which challenged aspiring businesspeople through a series of tasks.
Minaj appeared excited about her new role and celebrated the announcement on Twitter. “This is a major, MAJOR KEY. Sooooooooooo looking forward to this!!! Imagine being a part of the Trump Administration’s initiative to support small businesses. Let’s GO,” she wrote.
However, everyone did not show the same excitement online. Some fans questioned why Minaj was chosen to judge a competition involving entrepreneurs and criticized her association with Trump.
“Everything she does is laughably embarrassing and disgusting; she is literally a court jester for the Republicans, and she doesn’t even know it,” one critic wrote.
Another commenter called her “Donald Trump’s puppet” and described the move as “embarrassing.”
Minaj’s appearance at the event comes as her relationship with Trump has increasingly attracted attention. The president has publicly praised the rapper on several occasions. At a White House Rose Garden Lunch, he called her “so respected and so hot and so great.” He also described her as a “great friend.”
The rapper’s new role has now added another chapter to the growing attention around her relationship with the Trump administration.
