Nicki’s team likely sees this as proof of her cultural ubiquity: even when she’s being mocked for political shifts, she is the main character who commands the stage.
Insiders are buzzing about the 'press secretary' joke, which wasn’t just a sketch bit. Trump actually floated the idea on Air Force One, and Minaj’s refusal to back down despite the mockery suggests she’s playing the long game for political clout.
On Oct. 25, Minaj joined Trump in Port Huron, Michigan. On Oct. 31, SNL’s cold open featured James Austin Johnson’s Trump joking, 'We both appeared in 2016, we’re both very loud, very orange,' before introducing Belo-Osagie’s Minaj who said, 'Trump’s out here killing it, and by it, I mean my career.'
Nicki Minaj didn’t just join the campaign trail; she became the punchline. But in the world of SNL, being the target of the cold open is the ultimate badge of relevance.
The receipts are in, and they are spicy. On Saturday, Oct. 31, Saturday Night Live decided that the most haunting thing in America wasn’t a ghost, but Nicki Minaj’s sudden pivot to the MAGA movement. The show’s Halloween cold open, set in a budget haunted attraction, transformed the rapper into a spectral figure of political loyalty.
Played by cast member Saidah Belo-Osagie, Minaj burst onto the scene to declare, "Trump’s out here killing it," before delivering the kill shot: "and by it, I mean my career." It was a sharp, immediate reminder that while Minaj may have gained political allies, she also invited the nation’s comedy writers to have a field day with her brand reinvention. This sketch wasn’t pulled from thin air; it was a direct reaction to Minaj’s recent actions on the campaign trail.
Just a week prior, on Oct. 25, Minaj traveled with President Donald Trump on Air Force One to a rally in Port Huron, Michigan. There, she backed Republican candidates Mike Rogers and John James ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections. The tension peaked when Trump invited Minaj to the stage and made a series of jokes about her appearance.
SNL’s James Austin Johnson, portraying Trump, didn’t hold back in recreating that moment, using the sketch to amplify the awkwardness of the real-life exchange. The parody highlighted the friction between Minaj’s attempt to align herself with conservative politics and the public’s confusion over her sudden ideological shift. But the most cutting detail wasn’t just about her looks; it was about her ambitions.
The sketch cast Minaj as Trump’s next choice for White House press secretary, a gag grounded in real-world chatter. During the Air Force One trip, a Trump staffer reportedly floated the idea, and Trump himself told The Benny Show it was "a good idea," adding, "I’m gonna think about that." Minaj has since doubled down, stating she is "not going anywhere" after Trump called her his "favorite." This isn’t just a one-off joke; it’s a narrative about a rapper trying to transition from Billboard chart dominance to political influence, with SNL gleefully pointing out the absurdity of the leap.
The cold open itself was a chaotic ride, featuring Kenan Thompson as a Grim Reaper guide and Tom Hanks returning as his 2016 character, David S. Pumpkins. But before Pumpkins could even confuse the ride’s patrons, Johnson’s Trump froze the scene, cutting the bit short to complain about Republican polling numbers.
He compared himself to Hanks’ character, noting, "We both appeared in 2016, we’re both very loud, very orange." It was a meta-commentary on Trump’s longevity and cultural impact, but the spotlight quickly shifted back to Minaj. As the episode hosted by Obsession star Inde Navarrette and featuring musical guest Gracie Abrams continued, the Minaj parody remained the central talking point, proving that in 2026, political drama and pop culture are inextricably linked, and Nicki Minaj is standing right at the intersection.
