Nicki Minaj Calls Hochul an 'Evil Woman,' Injecting Celebrity Drama Into New York Governor's Race

The closing days of New York's 2026 governor's race took an unexpected turn when rapper and Trump supporter Nicki Minaj posted on social media calling Governor Kathy Hochul an "evil woman" who will "not escape God's wrath." Hochul responded by suggesting Minaj had been influenced by President Trump, saying, "You can ask her how she's been poisoned by Donald Trump," and adding that once "Donald Trump and Magaworld has vanished," people like Minaj would realize "they were fed a vision of this country that is not what Americans feel."

The post quickly rippled through the campaign. Brooklyn City Councilman Chi Osse, a Hochul supporter, publicly urged rapper Cardi B — Minaj's top rival in the music world — to endorse the governor, writing: "We need you to endorse Kathy Hochul today. We can't let a Republican become governor of New York."

Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman welcomed the attention, praising Minaj as "a great talent" with "a big following" and accusing Hochul of divisiveness, saying, "I don't think she likes people. She keeps the press away." Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who had previously partnered with Cardi B on a jingle contest for his 2-K program, was also drawn into the discussion. Once known as the rapper Mr. Cardamom, Mamdani said simply, "I think it's hard to believe that it's all real."

Elsewhere on the trail, Hochul campaigned alongside Democratic congressional candidate Cait Conley, while Blakeman received an endorsement from Hispanic clergy in the Bronx. The New York City Board of Elections reported 357,027 ballots cast by late Thursday afternoon, a sharp increase over 2022 turnout.