Grammy-nominated rapper Nicki Minaj praised Vice President JD Vance as an "assassin" in a cringeworthy gaffe Sunday as she sat feet away from the widow of slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Minaj was speaking at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest in Phoenix and seated onstage with Erika Kirk, widow of the group's co-founder, who was murdered three months ago by an assassin's bullet.
"Dear young men, you have amazing role models like our handsome, dashing president and you have amazing role models like the assassin JD Vance, our vice president," Minaj told the stunned audience.
Minaj appeared to immediately grasp her flub, covered her face and went silent for several awkward seconds.
That's when Erika Kirk came to Minaj's defense and told the musician not to worry about her verbal misstep.
"Trust me, there's nothing new under the sun that I have not heard. So you're fine," the reassuring Kirk told Minaj. "I love you."
Even after Kirk's encouraging words, Minaj still looked shaken by her unfortunate use of the word "assassin."
"I love you. You have to laugh about it, truly," Kirk said, relieving lingering tension in the room. "I have been called every single thing, and you know what? God is so good you let it roll right off your back."
"And this is what's so beautiful about this moment, because if the internet wants to clip it, who cares? I love this woman," Kirk said. "She's an amazing woman. She has a soul and a heart for the Lord, and words are words. But I know her heart, and it doesn't even matter. And you say what you want to say, because I know your heart."
Minaj in recent years has become one of the right's unexpected and outspoken backers.
The California resident has been particularly scornful of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, whom she called "New-scum" seconds before the "assassin" misstep.
CORRECTION (Dec. 22, 2025, 6:25 p.m. ET): A previous version of this article misstated Charlie Kirk's role in founding Turning Point USA. He was a co-founder, not the founder.
