Former United States President Donald Trump intensified his verbal attacks on Nigeria, publicly labeling the West African nation "a disgrace" in a recent radio broadcast.
Trump's Scathing Remarks on Conservative Radio
Speaking on a conservative radio program on Friday night, November 21, Trump renewed his accusations that the Nigerian government is failing to protect its Christian citizens from extremist violence. He did not mince words, expressing his deep frustration with the situation.
"Nigeria is a disgrace. The whole thing is a disgrace," Trump stated emphatically. He further described the ongoing violence as a "genocide" and voiced his personal anger about the killings, which he claimed are happening "by the thousands."
Trump also issued a stark warning, pointing to the financial aid the US provides. "We give a lot of subsidies to Nigeria. We're going to end up stopping," he declared, reinforcing his threat to potentially take military action against Islamist militants in the country if the Nigerian government does not "do more" to stop the attacks.
US Administration's Narrative and High-Level Meeting
The former president's comments solidify a narrative pushed by his administration that Christians in Nigeria are being specifically targeted. This perspective has gained significant ground in right-wing political circles in the United States.
It is important to note that this view is applied despite Nigeria's complex history of ethnoreligious conflicts, where both Christian and Muslim communities have suffered mass casualties from various armed groups and terrorist organizations.
The radio broadcast occurred just one day after a high-level meeting between US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Nigeria's National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, at the Pentagon. This meeting was strategically aimed at reinforcing the administration's claim that Christians in Nigeria are facing "horrific violence."
Following the discussion, Hegseth posted on the social media platform X that under President Trump's leadership, the Defence Department is "working aggressively with Nigeria to end the persecution of Christians by jihadist terrorists." The administration often refers to the Defence Department as the "Department of War" or DOW.
Aftermath and Official Statements
A subsequent official statement from the Defence Department confirmed that Hegseth and Ribadu discussed "tangible progress" on two key fronts: curbing the violence against Christian communities and combating the jihadist groups that operate in West Africa. This indicates that the issue remains a priority in the diplomatic and security dialogue between the two nations.
