Our behavior sometimes causes pain to others. Yet we know that God does not judge us primarily on the results of our actions.
Indeed, this is one of the ways we know that God gave us His moral law: He created human beings who care — as He does — not about unintended consequences, but about the content of our hearts.
Sunday at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest conference, legendary 43-year-old rapper Nicki Minaj paused and reacted with horror to her own assassin-related gaffe, only to receive grace from TPUSA CEO Erika Kirk, widow of conservative Christian icon Charlie Kirk, the organization’s co-founder, who fell victim to an assassin Sept. 10 in Utah.
The gaffe occurred during an on-stage conversation between Kirk and Minaj.
“What do you think about for young men?” Kirk asked in a clip posted to the social media platform X.
In recent months, Minaj has voiced her support for President Donald Trump’s administration. In particular, the rapper has spoken out against the persecution of Christians in Africa.
Thus, one might have expected her to say nice things about the president and his allies. And she did, though she went a bit further than even she intended.
“Don’t be Newscum,” she said, referring to the Trump-hating serial liar, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California. That, of course, drew laughs from the audience.
Then, the rapper turned to the men at the top of the federal government’s executive branch.
“Dear young men,” she added, “you have amazing role models like our handsome, dashing president.”
So far, so good. In fact, Trump does not blush easily, but one could imagine the president’s face both reddening and beaming at the compliment.
“And,” she continued, “you have amazing role models like the assassin J.D. Vance, our vice president.”
Colloquially, of course, the word “assassin” often refers to someone both smooth and hyper-effective. Hence, it took a few seconds for Minaj to realize what she’d said and to whom.
“And when I say that — ” the rapper added before pausing and bringing her free hand to her mouth in mortification.
Happily, the first camera shot of Kirk showed her smiling and laughing.
“Trust me,” the gracious widow replied, “there is nothing new under the sun that I have not heard, so you’re fine.”
Despite Kirk’s kind attempt to put Minaj at ease, the rapper raised her fist to her chin as if trying to steady her emotions.
Minaj then put the microphone down and whispered something to Kirk.
“You have to laugh about it, truly,” the widow added. “I have been called every single thing. And you know what? God is so good. You let it roll right off your back. And this is what’s so beautiful about this moment, because if the Internet wants to clip it, who cares?”
Having emphasized her own indestructibility, Kirk then turned to Minaj.
“I love this woman,” the widow continued. “She’s an amazing woman. She has a soul and a heart for the Lord. And words are words, but I know her heart, and it doesn’t even matter. And you say what you wanna say because I know your heart.”
NEW: Erika Kirk responds after Nicki Minaj referred to JD Vance as an “assassin” in a complimentary way.
Minaj clearly felt bad after using the term.
Erika: “What do you think about for young men?”
Minaj: “Don’t be no scum. Young men, you have amazing role models like our… pic.twitter.com/zYQYwwJZBb
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) December 21, 2025
Kirk’s gesture of both charity and forgiveness — “I know your heart” — exemplified God’s design for us.
In fact, it called to mind a passage from legendary Christian author C.S. Lewis’ “Mere Christianity.”
“A man occupying the corner seat in the train because he got there first, and a man who slipped into it while my back was turned and removed my bag, are both equally inconvenient,” Lewis wrote. “But I blame the second man and do not blame the first. I am not angry — except perhaps for a moment before I come to my senses — with a man who trips me up by accident; I am angry with a man who tries to trip me up even if he does not succeed. Yet the first has hurt me and the second has not.”
In other words, the content of our hearts matters above all else. Minaj’s accidental “assassin” reference might have caused Kirk a moment’s pain. But the widow knew the rapper intended no such thing.
In short, praise God for using Minaj’s gaffe and Kirk’s charity to show us what He wants from us. And while we’re at it, praise God for Minaj’s public embrace of both Christianity and Trumpian conservatism.
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