Rapper Nicki Minaj sparked a wave of criticism on Sunday after she posted AI-generated photos of herself with former President Donald Trump to wish him a happy 80th birthday on X. The post, which featured several fake images, drew sharp reactions from observers who questioned why she would use fabricated pictures when she has real ones.
Minaj's MAGA Drift
Minaj's shift toward the MAGA movement and its leader has been well-documented. She even possesses genuine photographs with Trump from earlier this year at the Trump Accounts Summit in Washington, D.C., such as one where she holds his hand.
In her birthday post, Minaj shared an AI-generated gallery that depicted her as Marilyn Monroe on Trump's arm, a hoodie-wearing duo with the president, and a pink-clad foursome featuring Trump, Elon Musk, and Sydney Sweeney in a car. "Real recognize real," she wrote. There was also an animated recreation of her hand-holding moment with Trump.
"Happy 80th birthday Mr. President," she captioned the post.
Backlash Erupts
The response was swift and harsh. "Nicki, you look pathetic simping for him in this fake pic. me? I'd never degrade myself like that for any prez and definitely not Trump," one user wrote.
Another commented, "NICKI POSTING HER SUGAR DADDY BUT WHY USE AI WHEN YOU HAVE HIS REAL PICTURES?"
Many others piled on, criticizing the rapper for her choice to use artificial intelligence instead of real photos. "Using ai pictures and not the real ones because you look a fucking mess with the real pictures with you and trump is crazy," one user tweeted.
Others mocked the quality of the images, with one person saying, "this looks like the type of collage somebody makes after 3 glasses of wine." Another joked, "Girl you so broke pay for some AI that's good lmao."
Some fans expressed embarrassment, with one asking, "are barbz not a little embarrassed." Another critic wrote, "Why are you fucking using AI and why are you wearing Marilyn Monroe? You look ugly as hell."
A particularly pointed comment read, "idk whats worse ur support for predators or that you had to use ai to have a picture with him ?"
The post also drew ridicule for its choice of imagery, with one user questioning, "Marilyn Monroe tho?"
