Nicki Minaj made a surprise appearance at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica Beach, Texas, on May 21, where she publicly praised Elon Musk during the company’s livestream ahead of the planned Starship V3 launch.
“Major shout out to Elon. Thank you for everything you’re doing for humanity,” Minaj said during the webcast, calling the occasion “historic.” She wore a graphic tee emblazoned with “Starship,” a reference to her 2012 hit song “Starships” from her album “Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded.”
The appearance marked another high-profile moment in Minaj’s increasingly visible alignment with conservative figures and causes. The rapper has spent much of the past year shifting into MAGA politics, beginning with a January 2026 appearance at a Trump Accounts summit in Washington, D.C., where she declared herself President Donald Trump’s “number one fan.”
According to a TIME Magazine interview, Minaj attributed her political turn partly to frustration with California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office, which she said was unresponsive after she faced multiple swatting incidents at her home. She said that when Florida Republican congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna came to her aid in April 2025, it shifted her perspective on conservative politics.
The SpaceX event itself ended in disappointment when technical issues forced a scrub of the launch. SpaceX halted the countdown less than a minute before liftoff due to a hydraulic pin failure on the launch tower arm that failed to retract properly, according to founder Elon Musk. The company announced it would attempt another launch the following day.
Despite the failed launch, Minaj’s appearance drew immediate reactions online, with supporters applauding her embrace of innovation and critics questioning her continued alignment with controversial billionaires and right-wing political figures. The moment underscored how a single public appearance remains enough to dominate conversation across music, politics, and pop culture simultaneously.
Sources
- Complex — Minaj’s direct quote thanking Musk and calling the event historic, details about her wearing the Starship shirt
- The Source Magazine — Minaj’s exact quote and the timing of the scrubbed launch
- Forbes — The appearance at Starbase, Minaj’s MAGA shift, and her TIME interview about Newsom and swatting incidents
- Ars Technica — Technical details about the hydraulic pin failure that caused the scrub
