Charlamagne tha God is taking Nicki Minaj to task, and his critique goes beyond her endorsement of Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman. The radio host is pressing her on whether the moral standards she applies to Democrats like Governor Kathy Hochul are the same ones she uses for the politicians she backs, most notably President Donald Trump.
On Wednesday, Minaj unleashed a series of tweets aimed at Hochul, questioning her character and faith. She wrote, "Kathy Hochul is an evil woman. The Democratic Party should forfeit her seat because even if she wins, she will be of great consequence to them. Downward spiral for her. She will not escape God's wrath." She also challenged Christians who would vote for Hochul, asking how they could support someone she deems morally unfit.
But Charlamagne, speaking on his platform, argued that Minaj's outrage is selective. "Listen, Nicki's words, her statement — it just lacks moral consistency. That's selective outrage, if you ask me. Because you can have whatever political belief you want, but you need to hold everybody to the same moral standard, Nicki," he said.
He didn't stop there. "You support Donald Trump. And you can support Trump — that's your thing. If you want to support him, support him. But when you start using words like 'evil' and telling people God is going to punish them, accusing other people of failing to condemn wrongdoing, now I start to look at you crazy, because do you know who you are even supporting?"
Charlamagne's point is sharpened by Trump's own record, which includes serial infidelity, derogatory comments about women, racially charged rhetoric about immigrants and Muslim Americans, and a civil jury finding him liable for sexually abusing E. Jean Carroll. He also made headlines for declaring "I HATE MY OPPONENT" at a funeral. "I don't want to hear nothing about morals when it comes to Donald Trump," Charlamagne added. "You can't condemn nobody's morality when you support a person who is like Donald Trump. Who has had more moral controversies than Donald Trump?!"
The tension is even more pronounced given Trump's recent comments about Minaj herself. At a rally, he said, "By the way I looked at one hell of a beautiful ass before, Nicki Minaj. That's hard to miss!" That remark raises questions about whether Minaj's standard of respect for women extends to the president she supports.
Beyond the moral argument, there's the policy question. Blakeman, who is challenging Hochul, has yet to post a policy platform on his campaign website, according to Politico. Instead, he's focused largely on attacking the incumbent. When asked in August about addressing housing costs—a major concern for New Yorkers—he pivoted, saying "It's not through socialism."
It's fair to criticize Hochul; she should face scrutiny, and Minaj has every right to do so. But if the argument is about morality, faith, and divine punishment, then the standard has to apply across the board. Minaj is entitled to her politics, but moral authority requires more than condemning the people you oppose. She owes her supporters an explanation for why the same scrutiny doesn't apply to the politicians she champions.
