Trump made the remarks in an interview with The New York Times, responding to questions about the Christmas Day missile strikes against Islamic State militants. The strikes came after Trump’s earlier warning that U.S. forces might go into Nigeria “guns-a-blazing to wipe out the terrorists k!lling our cherished Christians,” amid claims from some U.S. politicians that Christians in the country were facing genocide.
The Nigerian government has maintained that it has control over the situation. Ademola Oshodi, Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Foreign Affairs and Protocol, described the missile strikes as a one-off event.
Trump, however, hinted that further strikes could happen. “I’d love to make it a one-time strike. But if they continue to k!ll Christians it will be a many-time strike,” he told The New York Times.
The Nigerian government has consistently rejected claims that Christians are being specifically targeted. Last October, Trump’s senior adviser for Arab and African affairs, Massad Boulos, stated that Boko Haram and ISIS were responsible for more Muslim deaths than Christian ones.
Commenting on this, Trump said, “I think that Muslims are being k!lled also in Nigeria. But it’s mostly Christians.” Following the strikes, flight-tracking data showed that U.S. intelligence and surveillance activities in Nigeria had resumed.
