Erika and Charlie Kirk weeks before he was assassinated. Credit: Instagram @mrserikakirk
Nicki Minaj triggered backlash and confusion after referring to US Vice President JD Vance as an “assassin” during a surprise appearance at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest in Phoenix, Arizona, while standing alongside Erika Kirk, the widow of the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The moment has quickly gone viral online.
What happened between Nicki Minaj and Erika Kirk at AmericaFest in Phoenix
Turning Point USA closed out its 2025 AmericaFest conference with Minaj joining Erika Kirk on stage for a Q&A, according to multiple reports. During her remarks praising conservative “role models,” Minaj referred to Vance as “the assassin” followed by a noticeable pause that several outlets highlighted.
AmericaFest is one of the largest gatherings of the US conservative movement. Its reported attendance was around 30,000 people.
Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot during a campus event at Utah Valley University in September 2025.
Was “assassin” meant literally in regards to JD Vance?
Minaj has previously used the word “assassin” in a positive, slang sense when praising Vance. In a recent post on X, she wrote, “Nothing brings me joy like the Vance memes & knowing he leaned into it like a boss Top Tier Comedy Character = 100 But make no mistake, Vance is an assassin. Don’t debate him. On anything. Quick as a computer. Maybe quicker. He’s the best blend I’ve ever seen of us&them.”
Several outlets and online commenters have suggested the on-stage remark was intended in that context, however, critics argue that using the term while standing next to the widow of a man killed in a recent shooting made it particularly jarring.
Charlie Kirk’s murder suspect, Tyler Robinson, aged 22, has been charged with aggravated murder and other offences. Prosecutors have said they intend to seek the death penalty, according to Reuters.
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Watch the clip of Nicki Minaj and Erika Kirk below…
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