Trump Says He'll “Think About” Nicki Minaj for White House Press Secretary

Donald Trump has said he will think about Nicki Minaj as the next White House press secretary. Asked about the idea on the podcast The Benny Show, he called it “that's a good idea,” according to Billboard.

The press secretary is the official who briefs reporters on the president's behalf. Trump's reply was not a yes. “I think I'll have to think about that,” he said. “I'm gonna think about that.” He also said the show's host, Benny Johnson, would be “pretty good” in the job too.

Trump made the remarks during an interview in Florida on Friday, as Newsweek reported. The question followed the departure of Katie Zacharia, who left the press secretary role five days after starting in mid-October. Speculation about Minaj surfaced after that exit.

Trump staffer Joe Price floated her name for the post, according to a Yahoo report. Minaj already has public ties to the administration. On October 25 she joined Trump at a rally in Port Huron, Michigan, backing the Republican candidates Mike Rogers and John James. She flew to Michigan with him aboard Air Force One.

She has also served as a judge in the administration's Million Dollar Pitch Competition, a small-business contest that awards part of a $1 million prize pool. Steven Cheung, the White House communications director, added to the buzz by sharing footage of a mock interview with Minaj on Air Force One. His caption read: “Ladies and gentlemen, I think we may have found the new White House Press Secretary.”

For now, the idea exists as a question on a podcast and a remark in an interview. No job offer has been reported.