Nicki Minaj flaunts $1 million Trump 'Gold Card', says she's the President's biggest fan
Donald Trump hasn’t always had the best luck with getting artists to align with him, but he has got quite an influential supporter in Nicki Minaj. Born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago, Minaj moved to the US at a young age but was never an official citizen. She purchased the Trump Gold Card, which officials say provides an expedited path to U.S. residency, and even flaunted it on her official X handle.
The rapper attended a Treasury Department–hosted event in Washington, in which Trump Accounts were announced. She was asked to come to the stage by the President and say a few words. While she seemed unsure of what to say at first, it did not stop her from speaking her mind about the hate she has been receiving for being a vocal supporter of the President and his policies.
She called herself the President's biggest fan and took a jibe at those who criticized her for it. “The hate or what people have to say, it does not affect me at all,” she said as per a report in Newsweek. “It actually motivates me to support him more.” While it is true that for someone born outside the United States, the Gold Card is a fast track to residency, most people will never be able to afford it.
Gold Card applicants will have to donate $1 million to the US Treasury, while corporate-sponsored applicants would need to contribute $2 million. These are in addition to a non-refundable $15,000 processing fee. There is another tier of this whole scheme called the Platinum Card. It has not been made available yet, but the report states that holders would be able to spend up to 270 days a year in the United States without becoming subject to U.S. tax on foreign income for $5 million.
However, simply splurging cash is not going to be enough to become an American citizen. Applicants have to be eligible for permanent residency, be admissible to the country, and have a valid visa. Gold Card holders will be considered EB-1 or EB-2 visa holders, which are usually reserved for those with exceptional talent and skill. This can include professors, researchers, business leaders, and artists.
Like Green Card holders, Gold Card holders would also have to pay taxes to the government, and they’d also be eligible for visa revocation if they are deemed a threat to national security. Minaj has been able to live in the country despite not having legal status for so long. Her parents were both US citizens, who took her with them when she was five years old.
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