The $1 Million Gold Card Trump Gave Nicki Minaj Is Actually Worthless: Report

(AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

President Donald Trump’s $1 million Gold Card that he gifted to Nicki Minaj reportedly has no influence on her legal status in the U.S.

On Wednesday, Minaj was invited to speak at a Trump event in the nation’s capital. In her remarks, she declared herself the president’s “number one fan” and called out his critics for “bullying” him. She was later seen mingling with other members of Trump’s Cabinet, as well as Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA).

Hours later, Minaj posted a photo on X/Twitter revealing that she had received a Trump Gold Card. The Gold Card program offers permanent residency to immigrants for the price of $1 million, plus a $15,000 processing fee. Minaj was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and came to the country illegally when she was a child.

The rapper also claimed in another tweet that she was “finalizing” her “citizenship paperwork” and praised the president.

According to The New York Times, however, the card was just for show. An anonymous White House source explained to the outlet that the card was merely a “memento” and that Minaj has already been a permanent resident for at least 20 years. The report continued:

Turns out, all Ms. Minaj got was a gold-colored card bearing Mr. Trump’s face. A White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to describe the gift, said the gold card was simply a “memento” rather than a “visa document.”

Despite her flexing, the card would probably serve little value to Ms. Minaj, who already appears to have legal status.

A Homeland Security Department official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to clarify the gold card gift, said Ms. Minaj had been a legal permanent resident for roughly two decades, meaning she was already eligible to petition for citizenship.

As noted in the report, the Gold Card program debuted last month. At the time of writing, the program’s website also previewed an upcoming “Platinum Card.” The higher tier will set recipients back $5 million, but come with the added benefit of avoiding U.S. taxes on non-U.S. income for up to 270 days.

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