Skip to main content

Nicki Minaj surprised a lot of people when she began throwing her support behind Donald Trump. That’s because in 2020, the “Anaconda” rapper was one of the president’s loudest critics and called out his immigration policies. But these days, she’s calling herself his “No. 1 fan.”

On Jan. 28, she attended the Trump Accounts Summit in Washington, D.C. and during the event, the POTUS asked her to come up on stage. She did and then stood alongside him while holding hands as cameras clicked away. But an expert noticed that Minaj showed signs of discomfort and “hesitation” when she joined Trump onstage. Here’s more on that.

Darren Stanton is a body language and behavioral expert with a degree in psychology. He previously worked as a police officer and used his expertise to uncover the truth when interviewing hundreds of suspects. He later moved into media and TV as a consultant and has been dubbed the “Human Lie Detector.” 

He explained that Minaj’s posture, breathing, and demeanor showed that she was “reluctant” to speak, and her interaction with Trump made for an “awkward’ moment when he tried to hug her.

Speaking on behalf of Covers, Stanton told Showbiz Cheat Sheet, “Although Nicki is in full support of Trump, it did feel like she was a bit on the spot. Like a lot of performers, she’s very extroverted on stage and ‘at work,’ but I think she seemed reluctant to come up and was quite overwhelmed. She showed heavy breathing, and it didn’t appear to be a rehearsed piece for the camera. It seemed as though it was unexpected, and she appeared slightly hesitant to come up with Trump.

“He held his arms out as if to give her a hug but she just shook his hand, which was quite awkward. She does appear honest and open and shows genuine support, but she showed signs of feeling on the spot and uncomfortable from the way she was breathing, and she made lots of pauses when speaking.”

The expert added, “[Minaj] was at the front of the stage, but it took her quite a bit of time to get her on the stage — which is significant. From the way she walked into the shot, there was an uneasiness, as though she wasn’t completely sure of herself.

“When people walk with purpose, they take bigger strides and walk quicker. The posture and way she walked showed a slight hesitancy, not that she’s afraid to be associated with Trump, but just the fact there was a reluctance to have him hug her. The fluidity of her posture wasn’t constant. The way she walked was quite labored, and she took quite a bit of coaxing to get onto stage.”

In her remarks, Minaj acknowledged that she has received backlash and hate since going MAGA but said that “doesn’t affect” her and vowed to continue supporting the president.

Showbiz Cheat Sheet acknowledges that conditions and cultures can impact body language and is sensitive to all backgrounds.

Best in News