High Profile Trump Allies Rally to Defend Nicki Minaj Following Social Media Bot Allegations

Top Trump advisers and UN Ambassador Mike Waltz challenge a report alleging that Nicki Minaj’s right-leaning social media posts are fueled by thousands of bots.

By: AXL Media

Published: Feb 24, 2026, 6:13 AM EST

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Politico

Political Heavyweights Challenge Disinformation Report

United Nations Ambassador Mike Waltz and senior media adviser Alex Bruesewitz have publicly dismissed findings from Cyabra, a disinformation detection firm. The company’s analysis suggested that Minaj’s social media presence, particularly regarding conservative leaning content, is significantly amplified by inauthentic profiles. Waltz argued that Minaj’s global popularity makes the need for artificial boosting redundant, while Bruesewitz labeled the report as entirely false. The defense highlights an unusual but firm alliance between the Trump administration and the rapper, who has increasingly overlapped with right leaning political circles in recent years.

Allegations of Conflict of Interest Within Tech Firm

The defense strategy employed by Trump allies centers on discrediting the source of the data. Bruesewitz alleged that Cyabra’s findings are compromised by the company’s ties to industry figures associated with Minaj’s professional rivals. Specifically, he pointed to the presence of executives from Roc Nation and representatives for Cardi B on Cyabra’s advisory councils. These connections, according to Minaj supporters, suggest a biased motivation behind the report. While a since deleted webpage confirmed these advisory roles, Cyabra’s CEO, Dan Brahmy, maintains that their scientific and data driven methods remain completely independent and uninfluenced by outside parties.

Data Analysis Indicates High Level of Inauthentic Activity

Despite the political pushback, the underlying report provides specific metrics regarding Minaj’s engagement on the platform X. Cyabra’s researchers evaluated over 55,000 profiles interacting with her account and concluded with 85 percent confidence that nearly 19,000 of those accounts were inauthentic. The study was reportedly commissioned by an anonymous individual citing fears of public retaliation. This data serves as the foundation for the ongoing debate over "astroturfing" in digital spaces, where artificial support is manufactured to create the illusion of a broader consensus or higher popularity for specific political viewpoints.