Jemele Hill is raising some serious questions about Nicki Minaj’s growing relationship with Donald Trump, including whether the rapper’s political loyalty could have anything to do with seeking presidential pardons for her husband and brother.
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During an October 26 taping on her YouTube channel, Hill did not hold back while discussing Minaj’s embrace of the president and the MAGA movement. The journalist referred to the Grammy-nominated rapper as a “political prostitute,” questioning what she could potentially gain from her increasingly public support of Trump.One of Hill’s biggest concerns centered on Minaj’s family, particularly the criminal convictions involving her husband, Kenneth Petty, and brother, Jelani Maraj. Hill questioned whether the rapper’s political connections could eventually be used to seek legal relief for either man.
However, there is no verified evidence that Minaj has requested a presidential pardon for either relative or that her support for Trump is connected to such an arrangement. The Wall Street Journal previously reported that White House officials and Trump allies denied discussions about pardons.
Still, the criminal histories Hill referenced are well documented.
Petty, whom Minaj married in 2019, was convicted of attempted rape in New York in 1995 and is required to register as a sex offender. He also previously served prison time following a manslaughter conviction.
In 2022, Petty was sentenced to one year of home confinement, three years of probation, and a $55,000 fine after failing to register as a sex offender following his move to California. That case involved a federal offense.
Minaj’s brother, Jelani Maraj, has an even lengthier prison sentence. In 2017, he was convicted of predatory sexual assault involving an 11-year-old girl. He was sentenced to 25 years to life in January 2020 following proceedings in New York.
There is an important legal distinction involving Hill’s pardon theory. Trump has the constitutional authority to pardon federal offenses, but he cannot pardon state convictions. That means Maraj’s New York conviction and Petty’s earlier state convictions would not qualify for presidential pardons. Petty’s federal conviction, however, falls within the category of offenses eligible for presidential clemency.
Beyond the legal speculation, Hill also took aim at another issue surrounding Minaj’s political involvement: whether the rapper is even eligible to participate in the elections she has been encouraging Americans to vote in.
“She’s doing all this political bootlicking, and she can’t even vote,” Hill added.
Minaj was born in Trinidad and Tobago and immigrated to the United States as a child. In a 2024 livestream, she publicly acknowledged that she was not an American citizen.
However, her citizenship status may have changed since then.
In January 2026, Minaj claimed she was taking steps toward becoming an American citizen, writing that she was “finalizing that citizenship paperwork as we speak, as per MY wonderful, gracious, charming President.”
She has not publicly confirmed completing the naturalization process.
Under federal law, immigrants who become naturalized American citizens can vote in federal elections, provided they meet the other eligibility requirements. Green card holders and other noncitizens cannot. Therefore, Minaj’s current voting eligibility remains unclear rather than definitively established.
The controversy follows months of increasingly visible political activity from the New York-raised rapper.
On October 25, Minaj joined Trump at a campaign rally in Port Huron, Michigan, where she publicly expressed support for his administration. The appearance came just days before the November 3 midterm elections.
Minaj has also used her social media platforms to encourage supporters to participate in the election.
Her political transformation has been particularly striking considering her earlier criticism of Trump’s immigration policies. In 2018, Minaj spoke out against the separation of migrant families, referencing her own experiences arriving in America as a young immigrant.
By late 2025, however, she had become one of Trump’s most recognizable celebrity supporters, appearing at conservative gatherings and defending the president against criticism.
During a September 2026 interview on Fox News, Minaj explained that her support was genuine.
“I am honored to be able to have an opportunity to work with this administration and to work with President Trump,” she said.
She added that Trump was someone she could relate to.
Minaj has also offered explanations for her political shift that have nothing to do with her relatives’ legal situations. In a May interview with Time, she said she had privately supported Trump for years but initially hesitated to speak publicly because she feared professional backlash. She also described receiving assistance from Republican Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna following incidents in which police were falsely called to her home.
Hill’s criticism now adds another layer to the debate surrounding the rapper’s political involvement.
