Why is Sydney Sweeney in Nicki Minaj’s AI birthday post for Donald Trump?

If you ever wondered what could possibly unite Donald Trump, Nicki Minaj, Sydney Sweeney, and Elon Musk, well, the world of AI-generated selfies has now answered that bizarre question. Over the weekend, Minaj marked Trump’s 80th birthday in, let’s say, typically understated fashion: by posting a selection of surreal AI images on her X (formerly Twitter) feed, some of which are either hilarious, baffling or mildly alarming, depending on your mood.

Nicki’s AI Birthday Bash (Guest List: Trump, Sweeney, Musk...and Pink Hoodies)

Here’s how it all went down:

• Nicki Minaj jumps online to wish 'Happy 80th birthday Mr. President' to Donald Trump, complete with a parade of AI-generated photos.
• The first image has Minaj as a sort of Marilyn Monroe figure holding Trump’s hand, which is exactly as odd as it sounds.
• The next picture: the duo decked out in black hoodies, mid-selfie, with the caption 'Real recognize real'. You may draw your own conclusions.
• Chibi Minaj and Trump show up next – full-on cartoon render, big heads and all.
• The final entry? Nicki Minaj, Donald Trump, Sydney Sweeney, and Elon Musk, all squeezed together for a pink-themed car selfie. Frankly, this looks like the stuff of fever dreams, but apparently that’s the vibe she was going for.

The more you stare at these, the more questions you’re probably going to have. But let’s talk Sweeney, since her cameo is raising a fair few eyebrows. For those not caught up: Sydney Sweeney, of ‘Euphoria’ and just general ‘rising Hollywood star’ fame, has never made a big political statement one way or another. The only thing anyone really knows – and this pops up every election cycle – is that she’s reportedly a registered Republican, though she’s never waxed political in public.

The Sweeney Angle (and Trump’s Approval)

The Sweeney–Trump overlap isn’t entirely random, believe it or not. Last year, Trump himself went out of his way (on his own social media platform, naturally) to give a hearty thumbs-up to Sweeney’s American Eagle jeans advert, writing:

And it didn’t stop there. BBC reported on an interview where a reporter directly told Trump about Sweeney’s supposed party affiliation. His reply was as on-brand as you’d expect:

Meanwhile, Minaj herself is never shy about her allegiances. Not only has she expressed open support for Trump before, but she’s also pointed out that plenty of other stars quietly agree with her – they’re just not about to admit it on the record. 'Many celebrities feel the way I do, but they don’t say it,' Minaj explained in a recent TIME feature, adding, 'Sometimes you just need one brave person to get the brunt of the impact. I think I am the catalyst for that change.'

For your records: Elon Musk is also a well-established Trump supporter, so his appearance in this digital fever dream checks out, if nothing else about this post does.