Hochul Retorts to Minaj Criticism During Albany Campaign Stop

New York Governor Kathy Hochul told rapper Nicki Minaj to get offline on Wednesday after Minaj called the governor an evil woman on social media. Hochul delivered the comment while answering questions from reporters in Albany. She paused for a moment before speaking. Well, maybe she oughta get outside and get offline a little more, Hochul said. She added that Minaj should stop going to Donald Trump rallies because it is kind of poisoning her mind.

Hochul was at the Polish American Citizens Club in Albany when the exchange took place. She was campaigning with local elected officials and union leaders. A reporter told her that Minaj had just posted a tweet. Minaj wrote on X that Hochul is an evil woman. The post argued that the Democratic Party should forfeit Hochul's seat. Minaj claimed that Hochul would be of great consequence to the party even if she wins. She said the situation is a downward spiral and that Hochul will not escape God's wrath.

The rapper added that Hochul did not denounce evil when she had the chance. Minaj has become a strong supporter of President Donald Trump in recent years. She joined him at a Michigan midterm rally on Sunday. Communications director Steven Cheung has suggested that Minaj could become the new White House press secretary.

Minaj previously described herself as an illegal immigrant in 2018 when she moved to New York City as a child. In a 2020 interview, she said that Trump's policy of separating children from their guardians at the border did not make her want to jump on the bandwagon. Her brother Jelani Maraj was found guilty of predatory sexual assault in 2020. Her husband Kenneth Petty pleaded guilty to first-degree attempted rape in 1995.

Minaj recently told Fox News viewers to vote red in the midterms. She endorsed Bruce Blakeman, the Republican gubernatorial opponent who has Donald Trump's endorsement. Blakeman posted on X on Wednesday that he has a U-Haul ready. He called Hochul the worst governor in America. Minaj also shared a 2024 video clip of Hochul discussing Black kids in the Bronx. In that clip, Hochul said some children did not know the word computer. She apologized for the comment at the time.

A Siena University poll released Wednesday shows Hochul leading Blakeman by 14 points among likely New York state voters. The poll found that 68% of voters believe Hochul will win the election. That group includes 40% of the Republicans polled.