Trump, Melania, and pop star Nicki Minaj addressed a packed gathering of Michigan Republican voters at the Port Huron rally on Sunday.
During the speech, Trump turned to Minaj and said, "I’ve never done that with a man before. Off the record, women? Yes. Men? No," before adding, "I looked at a beautiful ass before: Nicki Minaj. That’s hard to miss."
The remark sparked boos from the crowd and prompted Trump to issue a brief apology later that evening, saying, "I hope Nicki wasn’t insulted, but we love Nicki."
Minaj, who has described herself as Trump’s number one fan, posted a short video on X thanking the president and urging voters to focus on policy.
The controversy is part of a pattern of Trump’s off‑hand comments, including a recent joke about Senator Jon Husted’s butt that he defended as a harmless joke.
The Republican National Committee has scheduled a press briefing for Monday to address the fallout, while Democrats in Michigan are calling for a formal apology and warning that the incident could influence the tight Senate race.