During the opening monologue of 2026 Grammy Awards host Trevor Noah, on Sunday, February 1, he made Nicki Minaj the subject of a pointed joke, referencing her recent headlines over outspoken support for President Donald Trump.
As Noah moved through the packed Crypto.com Arena, he celebrated the presence of music icons including Queen Latifah, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus and Bad Bunny.
When it came to Minaj, however, Noah shifted tone, drawing laughter from the audience with a political jab.
“Nicki Minaj is not here,” Noah said. “She is still at the White House with Donald Trump discussing very important issues.”
He then launched into a mock impersonation of Trump, jokingly imagining a debate between the former president and Minaj over who has the bigger backside, a playful nod to the rapper’s long-standing lyrical references to her physique, including her 2014 hit “Anaconda.”
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“Actually Nicki, I have the biggest a–. Everybody’s saying it, Nicki,” Noah quipped, before adding a swipe that referenced Minaj’s long-running feud with Cardi B.
“I know they say it’s you, but it’s me. WAP, WAP, WAP. Look at it, baby.”
Minaj was not the only target of Noah’s humor throughout the night. The comedian also took shots at President Trump over his past interest in acquiring Greenland and made repeated references to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
While introducing Lauryn Hill’s much-anticipated performance, Noah appeared to allude to Trump’s controversial past associations, saying: “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.”
Noah delivered one of his sharpest remarks later in the ceremony after Billie Eilish won Song of the Year for “Wildflower.”
“Wow, that is a Grammy that every artist wants, almost as much as Trump wants Greenland,” he said, “which makes sense because Epstein’s island is gone. He needs a new one to hang out with Bill Clinton. I told you it’s my last year [hosting]. What are you going to do about it?”
