The key facts
- White House communications director Steven Cheung posted a video with Minaj and wrote that 'it seems we've found a new press secretary'
- The previous press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, resigned five days after her appointment
- According to Kalshi, Minaj's chances are 3% (fourth place); Polymarket puts them at 2%
Michigan rally and Chang's post
Rapper Nicki Minaj joined Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Michigan over the weekend. The president thanked her for coming and invited her on stage, where Minaj said Trump had 'changed the energy of the country' and 'given us a future worth looking forward to,' promising to support him 'always and forever,' including in future elections. Euronews reports this.
Context: a vacancy after a five-day resignation
Discussion of Minaj's candidacy comes amid a staffing crisis: earlier this month, conservative commentator Karoline Leavitt was appointed White House press secretary, but she resigned just five days after her appointment amid harsh criticism. Her debut drew mockery online and questions about her qualifications as a 'lawyer' — she never took the bar exam. Minaj had previously called herself 'probably the president's number one fan' of Trump.
A joke or for real
After the appearance, White House communications director Steven Cheung posted a video from Air Force One in which Minaj explains that Trump 'knows what to do' on issues facing the country and the economy, captioning it: 'Ladies and gentlemen, it seems we've found a new White House press secretary!' Trump adviser Alex Bruesewitz also backed the idea. According to Euronews, at first it looked like trolling, but talk that the idea is being seriously considered is growing. The online reaction has been mostly negative; one user noted that the White House 'might want to pick an actual US citizen' — Minaj (real name Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty) was born in Trinidad.
What the prediction markets say
Despite the noise, the likelihood of an appointment looks low. According to the Kalshi platform, Minaj has a 3% chance of becoming the next press secretary and ranks only fourth — behind deputy press secretary Anna Kelly, CNN commentator Scott Jennings, and senior adviser to the Trump 2024 campaign Daniel Alvarez. Polymarket puts her odds at 2%. No official decision or offer of appointment has been made — so far this is only public commentary from advisers and market speculation.
