Donald Trump turned Nicki Minaj into one of his punchlines at a Washington dinner. The rapper answered with a playful response instead of staying silent. The exchange unfolded after Trump’s return to the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. Minaj, who has publicly backed Trump in recent months, was not in attendance when her name came up.
Nicki Minaj responds to Donald Trump’s ‘twerking’ joke
Speaking at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on July 24 at Washington’s Waldorf Astoria, Donald Trump joked about the April gala that was interrupted after a gunman breached security and started shooting.
Referring to Minaj, he quipped that when people shouted, “Get down!” after the gunshots, she “started twerking,” before adding she was “the only one” who interpreted the phrase that way (via USA Today).
Rather than issuing a lengthy response, Minaj reacted online with a Chucky-themed message. She posted a photo of a Chucky donning a pink wig, writing “How I’ll be looking @ the President next time I see him.”
The joke landed during Trump’s first appearance at the correspondents’ dinner as president after skipping the event throughout his first term. This year’s gathering also looked different from previous editions, with organizers dropping the traditional red carpet and attracting fewer celebrity guests than the postponed April event. Minaj was not among those attending.
The moment also underscored the unusual political alliance Minaj has forged during Trump’s second term. Earlier this month, she was present at the White House Rose Garden event before posing with the president in the Oval Office. Sharing the image on X (formerly Twitter) on July 6, she called herself the “WhiteHouseBarbie” alongside her “favorite President of all time.”
That public support has grown steadily in 2026. At January’s Trump Accounts Summit, Minaj said she’s “probably the president’s No. 1 fan.” In a May interview with Time, she said she had supported Trump privately for years but hesitated to speak out because of possible backlash in the entertainment industry. She argued that many celebrities share similar views but are unwilling to say so publicly.
