US President Donald Trump held a campaign rally to support Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers and other GOP candidates in Port Huron, Michigan, ahead of the November midterm elections. The president drew attention with remarks about rapper Nicki Minaj's appearance and comments on trade relations with Canada.
The rapper attended the event with Trump after reportedly travelling aboard Air Force One. Dressed in Gucci, the rapper voiced support for the president and his political movement, joining the campaign as Republicans look to strengthen their position in Congress, The Guardian reported.
During the rally, Trump made a joke about Minaj's figure. He said, “By the way, I looked at one hell of a beautiful ass before – Nicki Minaj,” adding that her appearance was difficult to miss. He then asked her to stand up and added, “I hope Nicki wasn't insulted.”
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Trump welcomed Minaj's support, saying, “We love Nicki. She's been with us for a long time.” His remarks came as the rapper continued to appear at events backing the president and the Republican campaign.
The event again highlighted Trump's recent pattern of public remarks about people's physical appearances. He has faced criticism over similar comments involving Republican figures, including Ohio Senator Jon Husted over a week earlier in Kentucky, where Trump told the crowd, “I examined his ass, and then I looked at his shoulders. I looked at his feet. I looked at his hand. I looked at his jawline. Studied him. He's got a jawline.”
Turning his attention to former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein, the Republican nominee for Kentucky's 4th Congressional District, Trump called him a “beautiful guy” and praised his appearance as straight out of “central casting”.
Trump has previously characterised such remarks as jokes and dismissed media criticism as “fake news”.
Beyond the exchange involving Minaj, Trump addressed economic and trade issues, particularly tensions between the United States and Canada. He defended his administration's tariff policies while predicting that the dispute would be resolved soon, presenting his approach as part of a broader effort to protect American economic interests.
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The rally was held as Republicans and Democrats prepared for a high-stakes midterm election, with control of Congress at stake. Michigan remains an important political battleground, as the Senate race between GOP candidate Mike Rogers and Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed is expected to be one of the cycle's most competitive contests.
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