Is Nicki Minaj the new White House press secretary? What the Air Force One video actually shows

Nicki Minaj spent Sunday, Oct. 25, flying on Air Force One with President Donald Trump and then appearing with him at a campaign rally in Port Huron, Michigan. Along the way, a post from a senior White House aide set off a wave of speculation: could the rapper be the next White House press secretary?

The short answer, based on everything reported so far, is no. No appointment has been announced, and the post that started the talk was framed as a tease.

What started the press secretary talk

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung posted a video on X on Sunday showing Minaj aboard the presidential plane. His caption read: “Ladies and gentlemen, I think we may have found the new White House Press Secretary!” according to IBTimes UK, TMZ and Billboard.

The BBC described the clip as Minaj filming a video with an aide on the president’s plane while “pretending to be interviewing” for the press secretary job. In it, according to Billboard, Cheung asked her questions about Trump and the polls, and she praised the president.

The official White House account replied with an eyes emoji, and Trump adviser Alex Bruesewitz added, “Hey Barbz, what do we think about this idea??” TMZ reported. Minaj responded with an American flag and a nervous-laugh emoji.

IBTimes UK noted that Cheung’s wording, “may have found,” was tentative, and that neither his post nor the emoji reply amounts to an announcement or a job offer. TMZ also said it was unclear whether anyone was seriously considering her.

Why the job is open

The press secretary position has been vacant since Katie Zacharia left the role, the BBC and IBTimes UK reported. The BBC said she departed five days after a shaky public debut. IBTimes UK reported that she left on Oct. 16 and that she had taken over from Karoline Leavitt.

Reports describe her exit differently. TMZ said Zacharia was fired, while the BBC described her as having left the role. No successor had been named as of Monday morning.

Minaj’s name had already been floating around social media before Cheung’s post, IBTimes UK said, after a parody post about the role drew wide attention online.

Nicki Minaj at Trump’s Michigan rally

The Air Force One flight was tied to Trump’s rally in Port Huron, held as part of his push ahead of the midterm elections. IBTimes UK reported the event was in support of Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers.

At the rally, Trump called Minaj out from the crowd and later invited her onstage, according to the BBC and Billboard. Billboard reported that Trump made a remark about her body that drew laughter from the crowd, then said, “I hope Nicki wasn’t insulted, but we love Nicki.” Onstage, Minaj led a chant of “We love Trump!” and joked that if he ran again, she would support him again, Billboard reported.

The flight came days after Trump greeted Minaj at the White House with the words “There she is, my favourite,” IBTimes UK said. The outlet also noted that Minaj has publicly backed Trump since at least November 2025 and has called this year’s vote “the most important midterm election of our lifetimes.”

Why it matters

The episode shows how closely the White House has embraced celebrity support in the final stretch before the midterms. It also put a spotlight on an unusual gap at the top of the White House communications team, with the press secretary’s podium empty after a very short tenure.

For Minaj, the weekend marked her most visible appearance yet alongside the president. The press secretary joke kept her name at the center of political conversation on Monday.

What we don’t know

• Whether the White House is actually considering Minaj for any role. Nothing official suggests it.
• Who will be named the next press secretary, or when.
• Whether Minaj will keep campaigning with Trump before Election Day.

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