A competition featuring a million-dollar prize and judges including Nicki Minaj and Grant Cardone will take place on September 18 in Washington.
Posted by Bulwark Takes, Checked
- Sources
- 4 support2 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 92%
Bulwark TakesSep 5, 2026
The claim's core assertion is supported: the SBA announced before the September 5 post a Million Dollar Pitch Competition with a $1 million prize pool, judges Nicki Minaj and Grant Cardone, and a September 18 date in Washington. Later coverage reports the event took place as scheduled, and the extraction faithfully matches the passage's content.
This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.
What was said
… Well, so, and you, you have already, we've already found businesses that are fighting to win, potentially, a million dollars. We have five finalists. The competition, the petition, takes place September 18 in Washington, and we're hoping get it out to everyone. And it's a really exciting time. Look, President Trump understands that small business is big business. He tells me all the time. How do you have any dignity left if you're Brian? Kill me. …
Bulwark Takes · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. The Hill (Sept. 1, 2026, before the post) reports the SBA's Million Dollar Pitch Competition with Nicki Minaj and Grant Cardone as judges, a $1 million prize pool, and a September 18 live event in Washington.[2]
Supports. The SBA primary release (Sept. 15, 2026) confirms the September 18, 2026 Washington competition, the $1 million in prizes, and Minaj and Cardone as judges alongside Joe Gebbia, with Dean Cain hosting.[1]
Supports. Black Enterprise (Sept. 3, 2026) and BTimes (Sept. 1, 2026) independently report the same September 18 Washington event, the $1 million prize pool, and Minaj as a judge, all published before the claim was posted.[3][4]
Context. Later coverage (Yahoo, Economic Times) reports the finale was held in Washington, D.C., on September 18, 2026, with the $1 million prize pool, so the event occurred as the claim anticipated.[5][6]
Context. The post's text says 'Mickey Minaj' and refers to 'the petition', but the extracted claim matches the post's substance: a million-dollar prize, judges Minaj and Cardone, and September 18 in Washington. The post itself is a claimant's own words and is not used as evidence.
Sources
6 sources: 1 primary, 1 tier 1, 3 not rated, 1 rated low
- 1SBA to Showcase American Entrepreneurship with Small Business ...legacy.sba.gov · primary source · cited for: supports
- 2Trump administration taps Nicki Minaj, Dean Cain for ' ...thehill.com · tier 1 · cited for: supports
- 3Trump SBA Taps Nicki Minaj and Dean Cain for $1 Million Small ...btimesonline.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 4Nicki Minaj To Judge Trump's $1M SBA ‘Shark-Tank' Competitionblackenterprise.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 5Nicki Minaj Responds to Criticism Over Her Support ...yahoo.com · not rated · cited for: context
- 6In 2026, 5 US businesses reached a $1 million pitch ...economictimes.indiatimes.com · rated low for factual reporting by Iffy.news · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
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