White House's Steven Cheung jokes about Nicki Minaj as press secretary

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung posted a video on October 25, 2026, joking that rapper Nicki Minaj could become the next White House press secretary after she appeared with President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Michigan the following day. The clip, recorded on Air Force One, shows Minaj praising Trump’s business record and Cheung captioning the post, “Ladies and gentlemen, I think we may have found the new White House Press Secretary!”

The quip arrives just days after the administration’s brief experiment with Katie Zacharia, who was appointed press secretary earlier this month and resigned after only five days amid intense scrutiny. The rapid turnover has left the role vacant and highlighted the White House’s reliance on high‑profile allies to fill the communication gap. Minaj has been an outspoken supporter of Trump for the past year, frequently appearing at his events and on conservative media to defend his policies.

In the posted video, Minaj describes Trump as a billionaire who “surely knows what to do” for the country’s economy. At the October 26 rally in Port Huron, Michigan, Trump gave her a shout‑out, noting her “beautiful” backside and calling her his “Number One fan.” Minaj echoed the president’s message, saying he has “changed the energy of the country” and warning that children should not be “bombarded with sex changes.” Earlier, she appeared on Fox News’s The Ingraham Angle, claiming she was honored to work with the administration and praising Trump as “grounded” and “easy to connect with.”

The incident underscores the administration’s growing blend of politics and pop culture as it courts celebrity endorsement ahead of the 2028 election cycle. Critics argue that joking about a rapper as press secretary trivializes a key communication role and may further erode confidence in the White House’s messaging. Democrats and media watchdogs are likely to press for a more traditional appointment, while the White House appears poised to keep leveraging high‑profile entertainers to rally its base.