Nick Cannon made the comparison when discussing his six-year marriage to Mariah Carey, who has been openly critical of Donald Trump since he re-entered the Oval Office in early 2025
Christopher Sharp Trendswatch Reporter
11:42 ET, 06 Feb 2026
Mariah Carey (Image: Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
Since stepping back into the White House at the beginning of 2025, Donald Trump has been racking up critics, particularly after recent ICE operations in Minnesota sparked controversy.
Among those voicing disapproval is singing sensation Mariah Carey, 56, who’s slated to take the stage at this year’s Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Milan, Italy.
But back in 2023, her former spouse Nick Cannon, 45, brought up the US president’s name while reflecting on his six-year romance with the chart-topping superstar.
Nick and Mariah tied the knot in 2008 before filing for divorce in 2014, which was officially finalised by 2016. The former couple share twins Moroccan and Monroe.
Looking back on their marriage more than ten years after their split, Nick told The Los Angeles Times he’d liken the relationship dynamics between himself and the Fantasy hitmaker to those between Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, reports the Mirror US.
Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump(Image: Getty)
He explained: “Imagine if, like, Trump and Putin had to live in the same house. It wasn’t even about her and I – we’ve always been good.
“It was more about us understanding that instead of making it about our relationship and what I want or what you want, we should just do what’s best for the children.”
Mariah has also opened up about their time together in her memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey, writing: “He was a good guy. He was faith-based. He was ambitious. He had been in the entertainment industry for a long time, so he understood the madness. He paid attention to me.”
Beyond her personal affairs, Mariah has been vocally disapproving of Trump, even sharing a GIF from her music video for “GTFO” – short for get the f*** out – prior to his departure from office in early 2021. Fans at the time hailed the move as “the best subtweet ever”.
In more recent times, musicians globally have voiced their opposition to Trump’s second administration, with Bruce Springsteen and Bad Bunny among those leading the charge.
Bruce Springsteen(Image: Getty)
American music icon Bruce has taken his protest a step further by releasing a song criticizing the conduct of Trump’s ICE personnel in Minnesota. The track came out before Trump withdrew 700 of the officers, with Bruce denouncing their actions during a live performance.
He declared: “If you believe in democracy, in liberty, if you believe truth still matters, and it’s worth speaking out, and it’s worth fighting for.
“If you believe in the power of the law and that no one stands above it; if you stand against heavily armed masked federal troops invading an American city, using Gestapo tactics against our fellow citizens.
“If you believe you don’t deserve to be murdered for exercising your American right to protest, then send a message to this president. This song is for you, and in the memory of a mother of three and an American citizen, Renee Good.”
Meanwhile, Puerto Rican artist and producer Bad Bunny, who is slated to perform at the Super Bowl, made a powerful statement while accepting his Album of the Year award at the Grammys. He declared: “Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say ICE out. We’re not savages, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens – we’re humans.”
