President Donald Trump on Wednesday reportedly issued an unmistakable ultimatum to the Nigerian government: take decisive steps to stop the slaughter of Christians in that country, or the United States may intervene militarily.
In a video message posted to social media, Mr. Trump said, “I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action,” adding bluntly, “If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet.”
The dramatic declaration — aimed at militant Islamist groups such as Boko Haram, which have for years terrorized rural communities — immediately drew support from conservative lawmakers and administration officials who framed the move as a moral and strategic necessity.
Representative Riley Moore of West Virginia, a Catholic who has pressed for American attention to the crisis, said the administration’s posture was warranted by what he described as “over 7,000 Christians murdered in Nigeria” this year alone, and between “50,000 to 100,000 Christians” killed since 2009.
Mr. Moore, who has been urging congressional oversight and called for an investigation led by Chairman Tom Cole, criticized the previous removal of a formal U.S. designation. Nigeria’s status as a “Country of Particular Concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act was restored by Mr. Trump this week; Mr. Moore condemned the Biden administration’s earlier decision to strip it, calling the removal “ludicrous” and “malpractice in terms of human rights and religious freedom.”
He said that the Biden officials had attributed the violence to “land disputes” and even to “climate change,” a rationale he recounted with disbelief: “Climate change was the culprit here…so they took this designation off.”
The White House move follows a sustained campaign by conservative members of Congress and advocacy groups who argue that Christians in Nigeria are being targeted at a far higher rate than other religious groups. “From what I have, from people on the ground, that ratio is five to one, Christians to other faiths. And so it is very clearly targeted against Christians,” Mr. Moore said.
Administration officials signaled readiness to back the president’s warning with force if necessary. Pete Hegseth, identified as the administration’s Secretary of War, put the threat plainly: “The killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria — and anywhere — must end immediately,” he said. “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.”
Supporters of the president argued that pressure from Washington could prod Nigeria’s leaders to act more forcefully against extremist militias that have destabilized vast swaths of the country.
Mr. Moore suggested that Mr. Trump’s intervention might be diplomatic as much as military: “It’s possible that the president’s comments alone will have a positive impact on the Nigerian government’s involvement in stopping the killings of the Christians — and that this was Trump’s plan all along.”
After the president’s announcement, Mr. Moore publicly thanked Mr. Trump “for his incredible leadership in defending persecuted Christians,” telling the president, “Your bold and decisive action to protect our brothers and sisters in Christ will save thousands of lives.”
For advocates of a robust American response, the moment represented a stark repudiation of what they described as previous hesitancy in confronting mass persecution — and a return to a posture of uncompromising defense of religious freedom abroad.
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