Trump Declares War On Islamists
President Donald Trump has threatened military action against Islamist terrorists in Nigeria, warning that the United States may go into the West African nation "guns-a-blazing" if the Nigerian government continues to allow the killing of Christians. The threat has set off a White House scramble to develop military and diplomatic options.
Trump's first social media post on Nigeria came Friday night, November 1, after he watched a Fox News report on violence in the West African nation, according to multiple administration officials. The president asked his staff for more information about the situation and shortly after declared in a Truth Social post that he was designating Nigeria a "country of particular concern" over its failure to stop the "mass slaughter" of Christians.
Trump escalated his rhetoric Saturday, directing the Defense Department to prepare for possible 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 wrote.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth echoed Trump's warning on social media, stating: "The killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria, and anywhere, must end immediately. The Department of War is preparing for action. Either the Nigerian Government protects Christians, or we will kill the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities."
According to two U.S. officials, precision drone strikes are among the preliminary options being considered, though it remains unclear what, if anything, the administration will do to counter Islamic militants in Nigeria. Speaking to reporters Monday, Trump hinted that he was open to sending troops on the ground in Nigeria.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement:
"At President Trump's direction, the administration is planning options for possible action to stop the killing of Christians in Nigeria. Any announcements will come from the President directly."
A senior Trump administration official said the White House is in regular contact with the Nigerian government.
"We hope that the Nigerian government will be a partner in the process of addressing this issue, and work with the United States to take swift and immediate action to address the violence that is affecting Christians, as well as countless other innocent civilians across Nigeria," the official said.
Nigeria's government was taken aback by Trump's statements, but officials cited the two countries' friendly relations and called for a cooperative approach between the two governments to tackle the threat posed by Islamist groups. Daniel Bwala, an adviser to Nigeria's president, told the BBC that any military action against the Islamist groups should be carried out jointly.
Nigeria would welcome U.S. help in tackling the militants but added that it was a sovereign country.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu rejected the accusations against his government and defended its efforts to protect religious freedom as "a core tenet" of the nation. Tinubu met with new army chiefs earlier last week, ordering them to immediately "smash" Islamist insurgents with "patriotic zeal."
Nigeria has been plagued by violence from groups such as Boko Haram and an ISIS branch, which have killed tens of thousands and displaced over two million people since around 2009. The attacks target both Christians and Muslims.
The bipartisan U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has pointed to violence against both Christians and Muslims in Nigeria, saying there are systematic religious freedom violations in the country. "Violence affects large numbers of Christians and Muslims in several states across Nigeria," the commission said in a report last year.
Apart from Boko Haram and an ISIS branch in northern Nigeria, there is a separatist movement in the southeast, ethnic militant groups in the oil producing Niger Delta, kidnapping gangs in the northwest, and clashes between Muslim herders and Christian farmers in the Middle Belt fueled by climate change and land disputes.
Trump's posts contradicted one of his own senior State Department advisers, Massad Boulous, who said last month that Muslims have died in larger numbers than Christians. "People of all religions and of all tribes are dying, and it is very unfortunate, and we even know that Boko Haram and ISIS are killing more Muslims than more Christians," Boulos said while meeting with the Nigerian President in Rome. "So people are suffering from all sorts of backgrounds. This is not specifically targeted at one group or the other."
THE CRUSADER'S OPINION
Finally, a president willing to name the enemy and threaten action.
Tens of thousands of Christians slaughtered since 2009.
Boko Haram and ISIS murdering the innocent while the world stays silent.
Trump watched a news report and demanded answers.
He designated Nigeria a country of particular concern and threatened military force. The Department of War is preparing options.
This is what defending persecuted Christians looks like.
No more excuses.
No more inaction.
Either Nigeria protects Christians, or America will.
TAKE ACTION
Support persecuted Christians in Nigeria and demand American action to stop the killing:
- Voice of the Martyrs (VOM)
Website: https://www.persecution.com
Donate: https://www.persecution.com/give
Nigeria Emergency Fund: https://www.persecution.com/give/?country=nigeria
Contact: thevoice@vom-usa.org | Phone: 1-800-747-0085
Action: VOM has been on the ground in Nigeria for decades, providing aid to families of martyrs, legal support, and emergency relief. Donate specifically to their Nigeria Emergency Fund. Call or email to request prayer updates and ask how your church can sponsor displaced Christian families fleeing Boko Haram. - Open Doors USA
Website: https://www.opendoorsusa.org
Nigeria Focus: https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/nigeria
Contact: info@odusa.org | Phone: 1-888-524-2535
Action: Nigeria ranks 6th on Open Doors' World Watch List. Donate to their Nigeria crisis response. Email requesting advocacy materials to share with elected officials about the genocide of Christians in Nigeria. - International Christian Concern (ICC)
Website: https://www.persecution.org
Nigeria Resource: https://www.persecution.org/countries/nigeria
Contact: icc@persecution.org | Phone: 1-800-422-5441
Action: ICC provides direct aid to Nigerian Christians under attack and advocates for U.S. government action. Donate to their Nigeria emergency fund. Request their congressional advocacy toolkit to pressure officials to support Trump's designation and take action. - Contact President Trump
White House Comment Line: 202-456-1111
Email: https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
Action: Call or email President Trump thanking him for designating Nigeria a country of particular concern and threatening action against Islamist terrorists. Urge him to follow through with military strikes against Boko Haram and ISIS. Tell him Christians across America support his bold stand for persecuted believers. - Contact Your Congressional Representatives
Find your officials: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials
Action: Call and email your U.S. Senators and Representatives. Demand they support President Trump's Nigeria designation and any military action to protect Christians. Reference the tens of thousands killed since 2009. Ask them to condition all U.S. aid to Nigeria on protecting Christians and defeating Boko Haram. - U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)
Website: https://www.uscirf.gov
Contact: media@uscirf.gov
Action: USCIRF has documented systematic religious freedom violations in Nigeria. Contact them requesting their latest Nigeria report. Share it with your church and elected officials. Ask USCIRF to publicly support Trump's designation and recommend specific actions.
Talking Points for Emails and Conversations:
- "Tens of thousands of Christians have been killed by Boko Haram and ISIS in Nigeria since 2009. This is genocide"
- "President Trump is right to designate Nigeria a country of particular concern and threaten military action"
- "The Nigerian government has failed to protect Christians. America must step in"
- "We give Nigeria millions in aid while Christians are slaughtered. This must stop immediately"
- "Boko Haram and ISIS must be wiped out. President Trump is right to prepare military strikes"
- "Christians in Nigeria are being displaced, murdered, and terrorized. The world has stayed silent too long"
- "Either Nigeria protects Christians or America will. We support President Trump's bold stand"
