Trump Warns Nigeria Over Christian Killings, Tells Pentagon To Prepare for Possible Action
President Donald Trump issued a sharp warning to Nigeria on Saturday, saying the United States would halt all aid and could take military action if the Nigerian government fails to protect Christians from terrorist attacks.
In a post on Truth Social, President Trump accused Nigeria’s leaders of “allowing the killing of Christians,” declaring that he had ordered “the Department of War to prepare for possible action.” He wrote that the US “may very well go into that now disgraced country, guns-a-blazing, to completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities.”
“If we attack, it will be fast, vicious and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our cherished Christians,” he wrote. “The Nigerian government better move fast.”
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War Secretary Pete Hegseth responded on X, writing “Yes sir,” and confirming that “the Department of War is preparing for action.” Hegseth added, “Either the Nigerian government protects Christians, or we will kill the Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities.”
The administration’s use of “Department of War” reflects Trump’s preferred terminology for the Pentagon.
His warning followed an earlier announcement naming Nigeria a “country of particular concern” for violations of religious freedom under the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act. The designation opens the door to possible sanctions and restrictions on non-humanitarian aid.
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria,” President Trump said in another post. “Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter.” He added that the US “cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria and numerous other countries. We stand ready, willing, and able to save our great Christian population around the world.”
Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu rejected Trump’s accusations, saying they distort the nation’s reality. “Religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so,” Tinubu said on social media. “Nigeria opposes religious persecution and does not encourage it.”
The remarks have sparked international attention, marking the most direct threat of US intervention in Nigeria in recent memory and signaling Trump’s intent to link American aid to the protection of Christian minorities abroad.
