Is Nicki Minaj the New White House Press Secretary? Cheung’s Air Force One Tease Explained

What did Steven Cheung say about Nicki Minaj?

WASHINGTON — Nicki Minaj became the subject of White House press secretary speculation Sunday after communications director Steven Cheung posted a video of a mock interview with the rapper aboard Air Force One. His caption said he thought they might have found a new press secretary, wording that floated the idea without saying President Donald Trump had appointed her. ^{[1] [2]}

In the clip, Cheung asked Minaj friendly questions about the economy, foreign affairs and Trump's pace on the campaign trail. She praised the president's business background and work ethic, and urged Republican voters not to be discouraged by polls. The exchange played as political promotion, not a conventional White House personnel briefing. ^{[2] [3]}

Minaj responded to Cheung's post with an American flag and a smiling, sweat-faced emoji, according to TheWrap. TMZ reported that the White House account replied with an eyes emoji and Trump adviser Alex Bruesewitz solicited fans' reactions. Those responses prolonged the online tease, but none supplied a start date, an official appointment notice or a statement from Trump naming a press secretary. ^{[2] [4]}

Why was Minaj on Air Force One?

The interview took place as Trump flew to Michigan for a campaign rally ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections. The Associated Press reported that Cheung posted the video during the flight and described Minaj as part of a broader effort to bring a celebrity to each stop at the end of Trump's campaign blitz. AP photographed her arriving aboard Air Force One at Selfridge Air National Guard Base. ^[3]

That campaign setting matters. Minaj's statements in the video were endorsements of Trump's record and his efforts to elect fellow Republicans, rather than answers to reporters about administration policy. TheWrap described Cheung's introduction as cheeky, while Mediaite called the conversation staged. The separate accounts support reading the post as a bit, even though it came from a senior White House official. ^{[2] [3] [5]}

The suggestion also landed at a moment when the job is genuinely open. AP reported that Katie Zacharia spent five days as White House press secretary earlier this month, after Karoline Leavitt left the position in August. A real vacancy helps explain why an informal video could be mistaken for a hiring signal, but a vacancy alone does not establish that Minaj is under consideration. ^{[3] [6]}

Was Nicki Minaj appointed — and what comes next?

No appointment was established by Cheung's conditional caption or by the reporting reviewed Sunday. TheWrap characterized the clip as a tease; TMZ said it was unclear whether officials were seriously considering Minaj. The White House's public interaction reported by TMZ was an emoji, not a personnel announcement. Readers should treat claims that she already has the job as unverified. ^{[1] [2] [4]}

A definitive answer would require the president or White House to identify a successor through an explicit announcement, or Minaj to confirm an actual offer and acceptance. Until then, the substantive news is her appearance with Trump on the midterm trail and the administration's decision to turn an Air Force One interview into a social-media talking point. ^{[1] [3] [4]}