Trump Calls Nicki Minaj as Press Secretary 'a Good Idea' on Oct. 30 After 5-Day Exit

Donald Trump says Nicki Minaj as White House press secretary is "a good idea." Asked on The Benny Show on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, whether the rapper could fill the vacant job, Trump said he would have to think about it, according to Complex and Billboard. No offer has been announced.

The job has been open since Katie Zacharia's exit five days into her run, and a White House staffer was the first to float Nicki for it.

What we know

• The interview: Benny Johnson asked Trump on Oct. 30 whether Minaj could be the next person in the role after Zacharia left. Trump answered, "That's a good idea. I think I'll have to think about that," per Complex.
• He didn't stop at Nicki: In the same answer, Trump told Johnson he would be "pretty good" at the job too, Billboard reported.
• Why the seat is empty: Zacharia lasted five days. Her run ended on Oct. 16, 2026, and Complex reports she was fired over her performance, leaving her with the shortest tenure in the job's history.
• Who started the talk: On Oct. 25, White House communications director Steven Cheung posted a clip of a mock interview with Minaj on Air Force One. His caption: "Ladies and gentlemen, I think we may have found the new White House Press Secretary," per Billboard.
• The rally: Minaj flew to Michigan on Air Force One and appeared with Trump at an Oct. 25 rally in Port Huron, where she backed Republican candidates Mike Rogers and John James, Billboard reported. Trump called her up in front of the crowd and commented on her body from the stage.
• Nicki's response so far: She reposted a video of Trump calling her his "favorite" and wrote that she isn't going anywhere, per Complex. Neither outlet reports her addressing the press secretary job directly.
• The newest development: Saturday Night Live opened its Oct. 31 Halloween episode with a sketch built on the rally, with Trump bringing Minaj on stage and jokes about her Air Force One trip, The Source reported on Nov. 1. Tom Hanks also brought back David S. Pumpkins in the same cold open.

Context

This didn't come out of nowhere. Billboard notes Minaj judged the administration's Million Dollar Pitch Competition earlier this year, a small-business contest with a $1 million prize pool. Then came the Air Force One trip and the Michigan rally in the same week.

It's also a big reversal. Minaj criticized Trump's immigration policies during his first term, Reality Tea noted in a Nov. 2 roundup of the story. Over the past few months the two have gotten much closer, with Minaj showing up at White House events and on the campaign trail.

For rap fans, it's one of the strangest crossovers of the cycle: one of rap's biggest stars getting floated for the most public job in the White House, by the White House's own communications director. None of the coverage we checked ties the press secretary talk to any music plans.

What's unconfirmed

• Whether there's an actual offer. Trump said he would think about it. That isn't a nomination, and no outlet we checked reports a formal offer or any talks.
• Whether Nicki wants the job. She has publicly backed Trump, but in the coverage we checked she hasn't said she would take the podium.
• Why exactly Zacharia left. Complex and Reality Tea report she was fired, and Reality Tea lists a rough start and backlash as reported reasons. We haven't seen an official White House statement on her exit.

Nicki at the White House podium: real possibility or just a bit? Tell us in the replies.