Prediction markets have little hope in Nicki Minaj as next press secretary, despite the chatter

WorldPolitics
28 Oct 2026 • 2:11 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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Prediction markets have little hope in Nicki Minaj as next press secretary, despite the chatter

While she has become acquainted with the lavish White House lifestyle with trips aboard Air Force One, rapper Nicki Minaj is still a long shot away from becoming President Donald Trump’s next press secretary, according to prediction markets.

The rapper, whose real name is Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty, had a 4 percent chance of getting the job, according to Kalshi’s spread Tuesday morning. Meanwhile, Polymarket had Minaj at a measly 2 percent chance — down from 8 percent the previous day.

“The jokes just keep writing themselves,” one X user reacted to the speculation, while others joked that the White House “might want to choose an actual American citizen.” Minaj was born in Trinidad.

Minaj, 43, currently trails behind CNN’s Scott Jennings and Deputy White House Press Secretary Anna Kelly, who prediction markets say has a 20 percent chance of stepping into the role following the exit of Katie Zacharia, who was White House Press Secretary for five days before she was fired.

Though she isn’t currently a frontrunner, Minaj is polling similarly to other notable names in the GOP hemisphere, including former Fox News host Maria Bartiromo, former Republican National Committee spokesperson Elizabeth Pipko and the president’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump.

The rapper turned MAGA devotee was on Air Force One with Trump over the weekend, according to a video shared on X by White House Director of Communications Steven Cheung.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I think we have found the new White House Press Secretary,” Cheung wrote alongside the video. The post came days after the abrupt departure of Zacharia, who replaced Karoline Leavitt after she left the job to spend more time with her family.

The rapper has previously voiced her support for Trump in 2025 and visited the White House in July, where Trump called her “a great friend.”

During Sunday’s rally in Michigan, Trump once again praised Minaj — specifically complimenting her rear when speaking to his supporters.

“I looked at one hell of a beautiful ass before — Nicki Minaj,” Trump said. “That’s hard to miss.”

President Donald Trump praised Nicki Minaj’s rear during his rally Sunday in Michigan - as she has frequently supported him and his agenda (Reuters)

The president then encouraged Minaj to stand up, drawing loud applause from the crowd.

Minaj wasn’t the only one whose rear end received praise from Trump during the campaign rally, as the president rambled on about his latest obsession, the body of Republican Sen. Jon Husted, the Republican running for re-election in Ohio against Democrat Sherrod Brown.

Trump has repeatedly complimented Husted’s ass during rallies both in Ohio and elsewhere on the road.

During the rally, Minaj pledged her support for Trump, telling him, “It is an honor to stand with you every single time. And I will continue to support you forever and ever. If you run again, I will support you again.”

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