WASHINGTON D.C. – United States President Donald Trump has escalated his administration’s confrontation with Nigeria, threatening unilateral military action and a complete cutoff of American aid over what he described as a “genocide” of Christians in the West African nation.
In stark remarks during a conservative radio program on Friday, the President expressed intense frustration with the Nigerian government’s response to religious violence, branding the country “a disgrace” and vowing to intervene if the situation does not improve.
“They’re killing people by the thousands. It’s a genocide, and I’m really angry about it,” President Trump stated. “And we pay, you know, we give a lot of subsidies to Nigeria. We’re going to end up stopping.”
The comments represent a significant intensification of the administration’s posture toward Nigeria, which the State Department recently redesignated as a “Country of Particular Concern” over religious freedom violations. President Trump specifically accused the Nigerian government of failing to protect Christian communities from violence perpetrated by Islamic extremists.
The threat of military action against Islamist militants in Nigerian territory marks a potential major shift in U.S. foreign policy, suggesting possible direct intervention if Abuja does not “do more” to secure vulnerable populations.
The Nigerian government has consistently rejected characterizations of the violence as religiously-motivated genocide, arguing that the security crisis stems from complex intercommunal conflicts, banditry, and terrorism that affect citizens across religious lines.
President Trump’s latest statements signal mounting pressure on the bilateral relationship and suggest that substantial U.S. assistance programs to Nigeria may face imminent review or termination.
