United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, has invited American rapper Nicki Minaj to visit the U.S. Embassy to the UN in New York after she publicly backed former President Donald Trump’s remarks on Nigeria’s religious situation.
In a post shared on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Saturday, Waltz commended Minaj for using her platform to highlight what he described as “the plight of Christians in Nigeria,” and expressed interest in meeting her to discuss U.S. efforts on religious freedom.
“@NICKIMINAJ, thank you for using your platform to speak out in defense of Christians being affected in Nigeria,” the envoy wrote. “If you ever find yourself in New York, come by the U.S. Embassy to the United Nations. I’d love to speak with you about what our administration is doing to protect Christian freedoms globally.”
The invitation followed Minaj’s reaction to Trump’s announcement naming Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern”—a U.S. State Department designation for nations accused of violating religious freedom.
Trump had claimed Christianity was facing an “existential threat” in Nigeria, alleging that “radical groups” were responsible for mass killings. He also warned that the U.S. could suspend aid to Nigeria and consider “military action” if the situation persisted.
“If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will stop all aid and may go into that country ‘guns-a-blazing’ to wipe out the terrorists,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
Responding to the remarks, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu dismissed Trump’s claims as “unnecessary and inaccurate,” assuring that Nigeria remains committed to protecting religious freedom and managing its internal security challenges.
Nicki Minaj, in a post on X, praised Trump’s stance and said she was “grateful” for his concern about global religious persecution.
She wrote, “Reading this made me feel a deep sense of gratitude. We live in a country where we can freely worship God. No group should ever be attacked for practising their religion. We don’t have to share the same beliefs to respect each other.”
She added, “Numerous countries are being affected by this horror, and it’s dangerous to pretend we don’t notice. Thank you to The President and his team for taking this seriously. God bless every affected Christian. Let’s remember to lift them up in prayer.”