During a broadcast of Laura Ingraham’s Fox News show on January 28, an error was corrected live on air after Ingraham mixed up rappers Nicki Minaj and Cardi B. The mistake happened while discussing Minaj’s recent visit to a Trump administration event in Washington, D.C.
While hosting The Ingraham Angle, Ingraham, aged 62, was in conversation with Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio about the Trump Accounts initiative. She incorrectly linked the explicit 2020 song “WAP” to Minaj, when it was actually a collaboration between Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion.
Earlier that day, 43-year-old Minaj had attended a Treasury Department event at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in support of Trump Accounts, a program aimed at helping parents save for their newborns. At the event, the Trinidad-born rapper identified herself as a fervent supporter of the president.
“I am probably the president’s number one fan, and that’s not going to change,” Minaj declared at the event, standing alongside Trump, 79.
Ingraham touched on Minaj’s surprising alignment with the president during her interview with Moreno. The show featured a chyron labeling the rapper as “MAGA Minaj” while Ingraham criticized her music.
In the course of the conversation, Ingraham, who identifies as a conservative, voiced her dislike for some of Minaj’s song lyrics over the years and mistakenly attributed the song “WAP” to the rapper. A producer named Sam promptly corrected her over her earpiece, stating, “That’s Cardi B.” This led to an awkward pause during the live broadcast.
Ingraham thanked Sam for the correction, prompting laughter from Moreno. She later apologized for the mix-up, expressing surprise at her error in confusing Minaj with Cardi B.
Prior to her apology for the confusion, she revealed her preference for country music.
“WAP,” an acronym for an explicit phrase, was a 2020 release by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion. The song was a topic of cultural discussion due to its explicit lyrics, and drew frequent rebukes from conservative commentators.
The error quickly went viral on social media, with critics accusing Ingraham of an inability to distinguish between black female entertainers. CNN political commentator Bakari Sellers was among those who commented on the incident.
Despite the correction, Ingraham proceeded with her interview with Moreno, focusing on the implications of Minaj’s support for Trump. Moreno suggested that Minaj’s endorsement defies stereotypes about Trump supporters.
At the Treasury Department event, Minaj joined Trump to promote the Trump Accounts program. The rapper addressed criticism of her conservative stance, asserting it did not deter her. “It actually motivates me to support him more,” Minaj stated.
During the event, Minaj was given a Trump Gold Card, a symbolic $1 million item with a $15,000 processing fee. Minaj claimed to have received the card free of charge. Trump stated that Minaj was investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in the Trump Accounts program.
The card Minaj received was symbolic and not a legal visa document. Minaj has been a legal permanent resident for about twenty years. Her immigration status has been a topic of discussion, especially in light of her public support for Trump’s policies. The Trinidad-born rapper confessed to entering the U.S. illegally as a child, at the age of five, but she now holds a green card, granting her permanent resident status.
The Trump Gold Card program has both supporters, who view it as a unique method to generate government revenue, and critics, who question its implications.
Minaj’s affiliation with Trump and conservative politics marks a significant shift. Her attendance at the event represents one of the most high-profile celebrity endorsements Trump has received. Celebrity political endorsements have long been a part of American politics, but their influence over fans is often debated.
Minaj’s endorsement of Trump has received considerable backlash from her fans and civil rights organizations. Regardless, she has remained steadfast in her support, using her platform to defend the president against what she views as unjust attacks.
The incident on The Ingraham Angle emphasizes the challenges faced by media figures when dealing with topics outside their area of expertise. Ingraham’s admission of being a country music fan, rather than a hip-hop follower, might explain her unfamiliarity with the distinct careers and discographies of different rap artists. However, the error also highlighted longstanding criticism of some media figures’ inability to differentiate between Black entertainers.
The broadcast quickly became a trending topic on social media platforms, with clips of the correction being widely shared across various networks. The swift spread of the clip demonstrates how quickly on-air errors can circulate in the digital age, where viewers can instantly share and discuss broadcast content.
The incident coincided with the same day Minaj made headlines for her appearance in the White House Oval Office and her enthusiastic support for the president. Her transformation into what some have termed “MAGA Minaj” is one of the more unexpected celebrity political alignments in recent history.
The Trump Accounts initiative, which drew Minaj to Washington, is one of several family-focused policies promoted by the Trump administration. Supporters argue such programs assist American families in building wealth from an early age, while critics question the initiative’s long-term fiscal sustainability and whether affluent individuals like Minaj should represent initiatives intended to benefit average Americans.