White House Communications Director Floats Nicki Minaj as Next Press Secretary After Air Force One Chat

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung posted a video on X on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, of a conversation with rapper Nicki Minaj and suggested she could be the next White House press secretary. The two spoke aboard Air Force One on the way to a Trump rally in Michigan, where Minaj was expected to speak. Cheung's caption said the White House may have found its new press secretary. Minaj reshared the post with an American flag emoji and a laughing, sweating emoji, without saying whether she wanted the job. In the clip, she said Trump understands economics as a businessman who worked his way out of having no money in the bank, and that he therefore knows what to do for the country. She also called him tough on foreign policy and said he outworks people half his age. The talk follows the exit of Katie Zacharia earlier this month. She was ousted in under a week after a briefing that lasted 14 minutes with few questions. She had replaced Karoline Leavitt, who resigned to support her family.

Right-leaning outlets the Daily Mail and Washington Examiner both lead with Cheung's post and quote Minaj's economic remarks. The Daily Mail headlines the Air Force One setting, adds that Minaj wore a $6,000 Gucci suit, and describes her emoji reply as coy. The Examiner's headline attributes the tease to Cheung and adds the foreign-policy remarks, Leavitt's resignation, and criticism of Zacharia's briefing. Left-leaning outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing, while alternative and right-leaning outlets had. TMZ, the alternative source, differs by saying two staffers informally nominated Minaj and by focusing on her praise of Trump.