Nicki Minaj’s-Cousin’s-Friend’s-Testicles-Gate Makes It to the White House Briefing Room

The controversy over Nicki Minaj’s cousin’s friend’s testicles has made it to the White House briefing room. (I too wish that sentence didn’t make sense, but welcome to 2021.)

To briefly recap: Minaj posted some tweets Monday about vaccines and, while not taking a strident anti-vaccine stance, did raise questions about side effects of the shots, including the rather dubious claim the vaccine caused her cousin’s friend in Trinidad to experience swelled balls.

As a result, Minaj’s claim has received criticism from the Trinidad and Tobago Health Minister, a top UK health official, and Dr. Anthony Fauci. Some of her more high-profile defenders have been Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, and Marjorie Taylor Greene.

And with the weird hubbub about White House outreach to the rap star, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was asked to clarify if they extended an invitation to Minaj.

“We don’t see this as a point of tension or disagreement,” Psaki said. “We engage all the time with people who have big public platforms or profiles… just looking for questions to be answered.”

“We offered a call with Nicki Minaj and one of our doctors to answer questions she had about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine,” she continued, saying this is a standard part of what the White House does.

You can watch above, via the White House.