Comedian Deon Cole sparked immediate conversation at the 2026 NAACP Image Awards after delivering pointed jokes about Nicki Minaj during his opening monologue.
Cole, who hosted the ceremony, closed his set with what he framed as a prayer. “Lord, we want you to bless our sister Nicki Minaj,” he said from the stage Saturday night. He continued by referencing her recent public controversies and suggested she “hasn’t been herself.” The comedian then made remarks about the rapper’s butt injections, joking that “whatever’s in her ass is affecting her brain” and adding, “Take it out her ass, Lord. We bind that spirit in her ass, Lord.”
The comments quickly drew attention, adding to the ongoing public discussion surrounding Nicki’s recent political alignment and media appearances.
This was not the first time a major awards show host has referenced Nicki Minaj in a monologue. In February, Trevor Noah joked about the rapper during the Grammy Awards. After noting her absence from the ceremony, Noah quipped that she was “still at the White House with Donald Trump, discussing very important issues.” He then launched into an impression of the former president while referencing Cardi B’s song “WAP,” prompting laughter from the audience.
Nicki Minaj, 43, has made headlines in recent months for publicly aligning herself with President Donald Trump and his Make America Great Again movement. In January, she appeared alongside the president, 79, at the Treasury Department’s Trump Accounts Summit in Washington, D.C.
During the event, Nicki declared her support from the stage. “I am probably the president’s number one fan, and that’s not going to change,” she said. She added that criticism over her stance does not affect her and instead motivates her to support him more.
Cole’s NAACP remarks now join a growing list of high-profile moments where Nicki’s political views and public persona have been addressed on major stages.
