New Delhi, Nov. 20 -- In a surprising political shift, rapper Nicki Minaj used a United Nations platform to publicly align herself with Donald Trump, effectively declaring her support for his administration and broader Republican ideals.

Speaking at the U.S. Mission to the U.N. on Tuesday, she framed her intervention as a moral calling, speaking passionately about the persecution of Christians in Nigeria - a major talking point of the Trump camp.

Introduced by U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz, who praised her as more than a celebrity but "a witness . to spotlight Nigeria's persecuted church," Minaj delivered a forceful address. She thanked Trump by name: "I wanted to thank President Trump for prioritising this issue . for calling for urgent a...