Nicki Minaj had some harsh words for fans who criticized her recent social media post expressing gratitude to President Donald Trump.

On Saturday, November 1, the “Starships” rapper took to X to share a screenshot of Trump’s Truth Social post announcing that his administration had designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” due to the alleged “mass slaughter” of Christians at the hands of “radical Islamists” in the West African nation.

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“Reading this made me feel a deep sense of gratitude. We live in a country where we can freely worship God,” Minaj wrote in her post. “Thank you to The President & his team for taking this seriously.”

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As ABC News notes, the U.S. State Department applies the Country of Particular Concern (CPC) designation to nations “engaged in severe violations of religious freedom” under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. In December 2020, during his first term in office, Trump designated Nigeria as a CPC. The designation was later removed by President Joe Biden’s Secretary of State Antony Blinken in November 2021.

Despite the Trump administration’s claims that Christians in particular are being targeted in Nigeria, ABC News reports that the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom found last year that extremist violence in the country at the hands of Boko Haram, ISIS West Africa, and the Fulani militants affects both Christians and Muslims across Nigeria.

Notably, in Nigeria, where same-sex relations can result in 14 years imprisonment under the 2014 Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Act, LGBTQ+ people are frequently subjected to violent, extrajudicial punishment and executions by mobs that typically operate without fear of legal repercussions.

Neither Trump nor Minaj had anything to say about the treatment of LGBTQ+ people in the country.

The Grammy-nominated artist’s post was quickly flooded with comments criticizing her for praising Trump, with some posters who identified themselves as Nigerians refuting the president’s characterization of their country.

One X user who posts as @hottogobarbie and described themself as a “die hard” Minaj fan wrote that they “might actually have to tap out” due to her “cozying up to” Trump.

“We live in a country that wants to weaponize religion so YOUR GAY FANS can be pushed into a corner and silenced,” X user @hottogobarbie wrote.

“Imagine hearing that Christians are being MURDERED & making it about you being gay,” Minaj responded in a since-deleted post, according to screenshots posted by Eric Daugherty, chief content officer of right-wing outlet Florida’s Voice. “When my home was swatted multiple times with my innocent toddler inside … you being gay couldn’t save me.”

“Imagine hearing that Christians are being persecuted & not being able to have empathy for THEM b/c you are blinded by your own personal obsession with Trump. This says more about you than him, my darling,” Minaj wrote in another deleted post.

Minaj’s initial November 1 post also drew the attention of United Nations Ambassador Mike Waltz. “Thank you for using your platform to speak out in defense of the Christians being persecuted in Nigeria,” Waltz wrote in an X post. “If you ever find yourself in New York, come by the US Embassy to the United Nations. I would love to speak with you in more depth about what our administration is doing to protect Christians’ freedoms all over the world.”

The “Super Bass” rapper responded with a post saying that she would “be honored” to meet with Waltz.

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