Topline
Nicki Minaj’s MAGA era hit new heights Thursday when the rapper attended Elon Musk’s Starbase launch site in Texas wearing a “Starship” shirt, praising Musk for “everything you’re doing for humanity” as SpaceX’s highly anticipated rocket launch was ultimately scrubbed over technical issues.
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 28: Musician Nicki Minaj (L) joins U.S. President Donald Trump on stage as he delivers remarks during the Treasury Department’s Trump Accounts Summit at Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium on January 28, 2026 in Washington, DC. “Trump Accounts” are a portion of recently passed tax and spending legislation where the federal government will deposit $1,000 into investment accounts for every child born between 2025 and 2028 once parents sign their children up while filing their income taxes. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
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Key Facts
Nicki Minaj appeared at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica Beach, Texas, ahead of the company’s planned Starship V3 launch.
Ahead of the countdown, SpaceX posted “Starships are meant to fly” on X, alongside a video interview with Minaj encouraging her fans, known as “Barbz,” to tune in to the launch.
During the livestream, Minaj pointed to her “Starship” T-shirt and connected it to her 2012 hit song “Starships” from her album “Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded.”
Minaj praised Musk during the event, thanking him for his contributions to humanity and describing the launch experience as “historic” and “amazing.”
Musk welcomed Minaj to Starbase on X, later reposting an AI-generated image of the pair smoking cigarettes with the caption: “Get in loser, we are launching rocket today.”
Version 3 of Starship was scheduled to launch Thursday evening, but repeated countdown holds forced SpaceX to scrub the attempt after teams could not resolve technical issues in time (SpaceX said another launch attempt could happen as early as Friday at 6:15 p.m. ET).
Nicki’s Tie to MAGA
Nicki Minaj’s transformation into one of MAGA’s most visible celebrity supporters has played out publicly over the past year, as the Trinidad and Tobago-born rapper increasingly aligned herself with President Donald Trump and conservative figures. Minaj appeared as a guest of Fox News personalities during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner weekend before later joining Trump onstage at a Washington event promoting “Trump Accounts,” where she called herself the president’s “number one fan.” The rapper has said years of pressure within the music industry to publicly support Democrats, along with frustration over California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office allegedly ignoring her after multiple swatting incidents at her home, pushed her further toward the Republican movement — at one point referring to the governor as “Newscum” during a Turning Point USA appearance. Minaj has also embraced conservative political culture at events alongside Erika Kirk, widow of slain activist Charlie Kirk, telling audiences, “We’re the cool kids,” while casting Trump supporters as culturally rebellious outsiders. She has since taken on a larger role in Trump’s celebrity outreach orbit, frequently defending the president and appearing at conservative events.
What is Starship?
Starship, the world’s largest and most powerful rocket system, stands more than 400 feet tall and is central to SpaceX’s long-term ambitions in space travel. The fully reusable spacecraft is designed to carry both crew and cargo, with SpaceX aiming to eventually use it for missions to the moon and Mars. The newest version of the rocket, known as Version 3, is the largest Starship prototype the company has built and is expected to eventually reach orbit and refuel midflight.
Tangent:
SpaceX’s expected IPO valuation could reportedly range from $1.75 trillion to $2 trillion.