‘I told you it’s my last year hosting’: Trevor Noah roasts Nicki Minaj at the Grammys and makes brutal Trump joke about her absence

The Grammy Awards just finished, and host Trevor Noah didn’t hold back during his opening speech. He made sharp jokes about rapper Nicki Minaj and President Donald Trump that got everyone talking. Even though Nicki Minaj wasn’t at the ceremony to pick up any awards, she became a major topic of discussion.

Noah walked around the Crypto.com Arena, praising stars like Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, and Queen Latifah. But he quickly threw shade at Minaj, who has been very open about supporting President Trump lately.

According to USA Today, Noah pointed out her absence right away, saying, “Nicki Minaj is not here.” He then added, “She is still at the White House with Donald Trump discussing very important issues.” The roast didn’t stop there.

Trevor Noah’s comedy went further with Trump impressions and political references

Noah pretended to be President Trump having a ridiculous debate with Minaj about whose backside is bigger. Since Minaj famously rapped about hers in the 2014 hit Anaconda, this was a perfect reference. Noah joked, “Actually Nicki, I have the biggest a–. Everybody’s saying it, Nicki.” He even mentioned her rap rival, Cardi B, saying, “I know they say it’s you, but it’s me. WAP, WAP, WAP. Look at it, baby.”

Noah felt comfortable making these political jokes because Minaj has strongly supported Trump in recent months. In December, she praised President Trump and Vice President JD Vance at the Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest conference in Phoenix.

She said she had “the utmost respect and admiration for our president.” She added, “I don’t even know if he knows this, but he has given so many people hope that there’s a chance to beat the bad guys and to win and to do it with your head held high and your integrity intact.” During that same event, she also criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom with some harsh words.

Minaj also appeared with President Trump on January 28, 2026, at the Treasury Department’s Trump Accounts Summit in Washington, D.C. This event promoted “Trump Accounts,” a new program giving investment accounts to children born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028. After her White House visit, she proudly showed off her gold Trump card on social media. She also supported Melania Trump at the premiere of her new documentary on January 29.

Minaj wasn’t Noah’s only political target that night. He also joked about President Trump’s past interest in buying Greenland and mentioned the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. Earlier in the show, while talking about Lauryn Hill’s performance, Noah said, “Back in 1999, the president had had a sex scandal, people thought computers were about to destroy the world and Diddy was arrested. Boy, how times have changed.”

Later, after Billie Eilish won Song of the Year for Wildflower, Noah delivered another sharp joke. He said, “Wow, that is a Grammy that every artist wants, almost as much as Trump wants Greenland.” He then connected it to Epstein, saying, “which makes sense because Epstein’s island is gone. He needs a new one to hang out with Bill Clinton.” Noah knew he was pushing limits, quickly telling the crowd, “I told you it’s my last year hosting. What are you going to do about it?”