USA

Faith Leaders Applaud Trump Puts Nigeria on Watch List for Christian Persecution

Michael Ringer

05 Nov 2025 — 3 min read

Faith groups and conservative lawmakers are applauding President Donald Trump's decision to designate Nigeria as a "Country of Particular Concern" for religious freedom violations and his threat of potential military action to protect Christians.

On October 31, 2025, Trump announced that Nigeria would be added to the State Department's list of Countries of Particular Concern, citing the mass slaughter of Christians by radical Islamist groups. "Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter," Trump posted on Truth Social.

On November 1, Trump escalated his warnings, stating he ordered the Pentagon to prepare for potential military action.

"If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and 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," Trump posted.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz applauded the president's action.

"I am deeply gratified to President Trump for making this determination. I have fought for years to counter the slaughter and persecution of Christians in Nigeria,"

Cruz said in a statement on Friday. In September, Cruz introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025, legislation that would impose targeted sanctions against Nigerian officials who facilitate violence against Christians.

Congressman Riley Moore also praised Trump's decision. Trump asked Moore and House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole to lead an investigation into the slaughtering of Christians in Nigeria. "More than 7,000 Christians have been killed in Nigeria in 2025 alone, an average of 35 per day, with hundreds more kidnapped, tortured, or displaced by extremist groups such as Boko Haram, ISIS West Africa, and the Fulani militants," Moore stated.

Rapper Nicki Minaj also applauded Trump's move on social media. International Christian Concern shared that more than 3,100 Nigerian Christians have been killed in comparison to 4,476 Christians killed worldwide, underscoring Nigeria as the global epicenter of faith-based violence.

Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu pushed back on the characterization, stating that Nigeria opposes religious persecution and has constitutional guarantees to protect citizens of all faiths. "The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality," Tinubu said.

THE CRUSADER'S OPINION

Finally. A president who actually does something about Christian persecution.

Trump designated Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern. He threatened to cut all aid. He ordered the Pentagon to prepare for military action. And he said America will go in "guns-a-blazing" if necessary.

That's leadership. That's what protecting Christians looks like.

7,000 Christians killed in Nigeria in 2025 alone. 35 per day. Slaughtered by Boko Haram, ISIS, and Fulani militants. And the world stayed silent. Until now.

Trump watched a Fox News segment about Christian persecution. Within an hour, he was on it. No committees. No bureaucratic delays. Just action.

This is what conviction looks like. While other politicians talk about religious freedom in speeches, Trump threatens military intervention to stop Christian genocide. That sends a message to every terrorist group and complicit government on earth: touch Christians, and America will respond.

Is Nigeria's situation complex? Yes. Are Muslims also victims of violence there? Yes. But 3,100 of the 4,476 Christians killed worldwide last year were killed in Nigeria. That's 82% of all Christian martyrs. In one country. That's not complexity. That's a crisis.

And Trump is the only world leader willing to call it what it is.