Is Nicki Minaj up for a key role in the Trump administration?

Rapper Nicki Minaj became the topic of likely tongue-in-cheek speculation about a major White House vacancy after she took a ride on Air Force One. Karoline Leavitt's departure from the White House in August left the Trump administration in desperate need of a similarly talented press secretary. Given Katie Zacharia's trial run lasted only five days, the role remains vacant. 'I think we may have found the new White House Press Secretary!' Speculation abounds about whom the president might appoint to the role next, and several names have been floated, including CNN contributor Scott Jennings; White House communications aide Danielle Alvarez; White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly; and Katie Miller, the wife of President Donald Trump's chief of staff, Stephen Miller. On Sunday, White House communications director Steven Cheung teased another potential contender: Nicki Minaj. Minaj — a native of Trinidad and an enthusiastic supporter of Trump and Vice President Vance whose real name is Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty — joined Trump onstage at his rally in Port Huron, Michigan, on Sunday. After the rapper sang Trump's praises and denounced so-called "sex changes" for children, the president stated, "You see why everybody likes Nicki. Love, like. But she is a very, very special person. She gets it. Smart." The rapper had flown to Michigan in style — on Air Force One — where she sat down for a conversation with Cheung, who later shared a video of part of their exchange on social media with the caption, "Ladies and gentlemen, I think we may have found the new White House Press Secretary!" RELATED: Hello and goodbye: Katie Zacharia is out as White House press secretary Sarah Rice/Bloomberg via Getty Images The White House's X account replied with the eyeballs emoji, and the Trump War Room account responded, "Press Secretary @NICKIMINAJ has a nice ring to it!" These posts have prompted widespread speculation about whether Minaj is indeed a contender, and there is some chatter about optics due in part to her husband's rape conviction, her brother's child rape conviction, and her admitted arrival to the U.S. as an illegal alien child. The White House did not respond to Blaze News' request for comment by deadline. However, one person familiar with the situation told Semafor last week that a new pick will "definitely not" be named before the midterms. Cheung told Semafor that the president and "his team are focused on the midterm elections." Minaj, who said on Jan. 28 that she was finalizing "citizenship paperwork," did not immediately respond to Blaze News' request for comment. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!