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 in Washington, D.C., in support of Trump Accounts, a savings program promoted by the administration. 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. She later stated that criticism of her political stance only motivated her to support the president more strongly.
Ingraham touched on Minaj’s surprising alignment with the president during her interview with Moreno. The show featured a chyron about the rapper 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 promptly corrected her over her earpiece, stating, “That’s Cardi B.” This led to an awkward pause during the live broadcast.
Ingraham thanked the producer 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.
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 addressed criticism of her conservative stance, asserting it did not deter her and that opposition only strengthened her resolve.
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 at the Treasury Department event 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 that 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.