Linda Perry Calls Nicki Minaj's Trump Support a Personal Misjudgment

Linda Perry is speaking out about Nicki Minaj and the backlash surrounding the rapper’s MAGA affiliations, and she’s showing empathy rather than judgment.

Perry’s empathetic stance: Linda Perry said she’s not judging Nicki Minaj’s Trump support, framing it as a possible bad judgment made under personal pressure.

Minaj’s political shift: Nicki Minaj told Time she moved toward Trump after feeling unsupported by Democrats during swatting incidents and receiving direct help from Republicans.

Public backlash: The revelations triggered strong online reactions, with some defending Minaj’s right to choose and others condemning her for aligning with Trump.

Speaking on Billboard’s Pop Shop Podcast, Linda Perry speculated that Nicki Minaj’s support for Trump may have stemmed from trying to help herself or someone close to her, possibly after being promised something in return. Perry drew parallels to her own life, saying she might also make a poor judgment call under emotional urgency. She emphasized she was not judging Minaj, believing the rapper is already “suffering by her own decision.”

In a Time interview, Minaj recounted multiple swatting incidents at her Los Angeles home between 2022 and 2025 and criticized California Gov. Gavin Newsom for not responding to her request for help. She contrasted this with Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna’s efforts to connect her with law enforcement and private security, which she said influenced her decision to speak publicly about supporting Trump. Minaj also mentioned feeling out of step with prevailing Democratic leanings in the music industry as another factor in her decision.

Minaj attributed part of her political turn to her belief that Jay-Z’s Roc Nation holds too much power and has worked against her career. She claimed Jay-Z’s closeness to Obama alienated other rappers and fueled resentment within the industry. These grievances, combined with her COVID-19 vaccine skepticism and criticism from Democrats, reinforced her alignment with Trump and the MAGA movement.

Social media responses to Perry’s remarks and Minaj’s interview ranged from empathy to sharp criticism. Some users argued that Minaj’s global platform means her political endorsements have real-world consequences, while others defended her right to personal political choices. The episode underscores ongoing polarization over celebrity political engagement and the potential career and reputational stakes involved.

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Gone are the days where I feel emoathy for people who wouldn't spit on you if you were on fire. Who put their own selfish interests over others who are out in the world worse off than they are. Nicki won't be the first nor the last person with a lot of money and influence who snuggles up to a powerful person in order to get something out of them, whether it be an American citizenship or leniency toward her felon husband.

All I ask is that whatever political ideologies you decide to align yourself with, just own up to the real reason. Don't sit up here and say it was because Gavin Newsom didn't take time out of his busy schedule to give attention to your home being swatted.

Quiet as it's kept there have been a plethora of reports regarding celebrity swattings, but you don't see them rocking a white fur coat you probably got from a swap meat clearance sale at the Trump Accounts Summit.

We have a wannabe mafioso masquerading as the president of the Unites States who is raging an illegal war on Iran, gas prices are through the roof, unemployment is at an all-time high, people can't afford to pay their bills and can't afford to buy groceries, but she rather take the Michelle Obama "when they go low we go high" approach. FOH!