Trump Warns of More Strikes in Nigeria Over Attacks on Christians

President Donald Trump has warned that the United States could carry out additional military strikes in Nigeria if attacks on Christians continue, signaling a readiness to escalate U.S. involvement if violence persists.

Trump issued the warning in an interview with The New York Times, where he was asked whether U.S. missile strikes on Christmas Day against Islamic State-linked targets marked the beginning of a broader military campaign. 

While he said he would prefer the operation to remain limited, Trump made clear that further action remains on the table.

“I’d love to make it a one-time strike,” Trump said. “But if they continue to kill Christians it will be a many-time strike.”

The Christmas Day strikes came weeks after Trump publicly threatened to send U.S. troops into Nigeria, vowing they would go in “guns-a-blazing” to eliminate militants he said were killing “our cherished Christians.” 

His remarks followed growing pressure from some U.S. politicians and advocacy groups who claim Christians in Nigeria are facing targeted violence amounting to genocide.

Nigeria has pushed back strongly against that characterization. Government officials insist the country’s security crisis is complex and driven by multiple factors, including terrorism, banditry, and communal conflict, rather than a campaign aimed at a single religious group.

Ademola Oshodi, Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Foreign Affairs and Protocol, said Nigeria retained control over decision-making related to the recent U.S. strike, emphasizing that it was a single, coordinated operation rather than an open-ended campaign.

Despite that assurance, Trump’s comments suggest Washington is prepared to revisit the military option if conditions on the ground do not improve. 

His remarks also underscore a sharp focus on religious identity in assessing the violence, even as U.S. officials acknowledge the broader toll of the conflict.

In October, Trump’s senior adviser for Arab and African affairs, Massad Boulos, noted that extremist groups such as Boko Haram and ISIS have killed more Muslims than Christians in Nigeria. Asked about that assessment, Trump did not dispute that Muslims are also victims but maintained that Christians bear the brunt of the attacks.

“I think that Muslims are being killed also in Nigeria,” he said. “But it’s mostly Christians.”

Nigeria has consistently rejected claims that Christians are being deliberately targeted, arguing that militant violence affects communities across religious and ethnic lines. 

Analysts have also warned that framing the conflict purely as a religious war risks oversimplifying a security crisis rooted in insurgency, weak governance, and long-running local disputes.

Still, Trump’s warning marks a hardening of rhetoric and raises the prospect of deeper U.S. military involvement if attacks continue. 

Whether those threats translate into further strikes may depend on developments on the ground and on how Washington and Abuja navigate the balance between cooperation and sovereignty in addressing Nigeria’s ongoing security challenges.