'Hell of a beautiful a**': Trump compliments Nicki Minaj as rapper joins him in Michigan rally

US President Donald Trump has grabbed attention on social media after he praised Nicki Minaj’s appearance while addressing supporters at a Republican rally in Port Huron, Michigan, on Sunday, October 25. Before joining him at the event, the rapper had travelled with the president aboard Air Force One.

Trump on Nicki Minaj

During his speech, Trump referred to his recent comments about Republican Ohio Senator Jon Husted’s physique before bringing Minaj into the conversation.

“By the way, I looked at one hell of a beautiful a** before – Nicki Minaj,” Trump said, leading to cheers from the crowd. He then asked the rapper to stand up, adding, “That’s hard to miss.”

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Trump subsequently expressed hope that Minaj had not taken offence to his comment. “I hope Nicki wasn’t insulted, but we love Nicki. She’s been with us for a long time,” he said.

The president also complimented her after she finished addressing the audience. “She never looked more beautiful,” he said, adding, “She gets it. She's smart.”

Earlier in his speech, Trump addressed the attention surrounding his remarks about Husted, whose athletic background he had referenced while discussing his appearance.

“I don’t do this with men very often. I started examining his body, because I didn’t know he was a great athlete,” Trump said, as reported by The Guardian.

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The president dismissed criticism of his earlier comments as “fake news” and maintained that his remarks had been made in jest. He also described looking at Husted’s physique before turning his attention to Minaj.

Nicki Minaj backs Trump

The singer used her appearance at the Michigan rally to express her support for Trump. Wearing a gold-coloured Gucci suit, the 43-year-old rapper praised the president saying, “I am so honoured to be working with this president. He represents resilience. You know, so many people um were maybe giving up a little bit, a little bit hopeless. And since he's come back, he's changed the energy of our country and um he's given us a a a future to look forward to, a brighter future for us and our children. So, let's make some noise for this great man. I love him so much."

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She also called on voters to support Republican candidates in the state. "We really need all these great people to be elected, because this is a major turning point for our country,” Minaj said.

This comes amid speculation about a possible role for her in the Trump administration. Before the rally, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung shared a video featuring the rapper aboard Air Force One.

In the clip, Minaj discussed why she believed the US economy was performing well under Trump.

Cheung accompanied the video with the caption, “Ladies and gentlemen, I think we may have found the new White House Press Secretary!”