President Donald Trump got a “new” supporter from rapper and artist Nicki Minaj, though the latter seemingly lost one follower in the form of Kyrie Irving.
Rapper Nicki Minaj made a surprise appearance at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest in Phoenix on Dec. 21, walking onstage with Erika Kirk as her 2011 hit “Super Bass” played and greeting the crowd with a heart gesture and salute. During the onstage interview, Minaj expressed strong support for President Donald Trump and praised Vice President JD Vance, saying she was “honored” to be at the conference and voicing admiration for the administration’s message of hope.
Minaj drew a personal parallel with Trump, noting both are from Queens, New York, and saying his public resilience showed people they can recover from hard times. She credited the president with giving many people hope and suggested he has endured persistent public falsehoods, though she did not specify which claims she meant.
With the newly-revealed support for the President, fans were quick to catch on that Dallas Mavericks veteran star Kyrie Irving had unfollowed Minaj on social media.
👀 Kyrie🤞🏾 (KyrieIrving) is no longer following @NICKIMINAJ
— NBA Alerts (@theNBAalert) December 22, 2025
Irving had been known for being politically outspoken, though he never confirmed or explicitly stated whether he leaned more towards the Democratic or the Republican Party.
Donald Trump Gets Hunger Games Comparison for “Patriot Games”
President Donald Trump unveiled a slate of events to mark the United States’ 250th anniversary, promising a large Independence Day celebration on July 4, 2026, and a season of related activities before and after that date.
Trump announces an “unprecedented four-day athletic event” with “one young man and one young woman from each state and territory” pic.twitter.com/MHiZngRs37
— FactPost (@factpostnews) December 18, 2025
Among the announced attractions is a four-day competition called the Patriot Games, slated for the fall and described as featuring high school athletes. In his announcement video, the President said the contest would include “one young man and one young woman from each state and territory,” a format that critics and commentators have likened to the premise of the Hunger Games novels and films. The administration clarified that males and females would not compete directly against one another.
The announcement has prompted comparisons to the popular Hunger Games franchise, which continues to expand with a new installment due next year, and has sparked public conversation about which of the planned national celebrations people most anticipate.
Donald Trump also pledged a dramatic Fourth of July program, including an extensive flyover and what he called the world’s largest fireworks display, and flagged a major Flag Day event on June 14, which coincides with his 80th birthday.
For more sports content
Follow me on X at @ErnestLeo, and follow us at @WisconsinHeroics, @HardwoodHeroics and @GridironHeroics. You can also reach out to Ernest Hernandez via email at ernestleo@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest sports news, click here!
Ernest also manages a YouTube account called Sports On Air with over 108 thousand subscribers while the Facebook counterpart boasts 184 thousand followers. The channel contains interviews predominantly from the Philippine Basketball Association. They can be reached at sportsonairph@gmail.com.
