U.S. President Donald Trump has declared he is prepared to deploy American troops or conduct airstrikes in Nigeria, alleging the West African nation is allowing the targeted killing of Christians. The threat, delivered both in informal remarks to reporters and in a fiery social media post, has been met with a measured response from the Nigerian government.

Aboard Air Force One on Sunday, President Trump was asked by reporters if he envisioned U.S. military action in Nigeria. "Could be," he replied. "I envisage a lot of things. They're killing record numbers of Christians in Nigeria... They're killing the Christians and killing them in very large numbers. We're not going to allow that to happen."

These comments followed a post on his Truth Social platform on Saturday, where he issued a stark warning. "The US will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, 'guns-a-blazing,' to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities," Trump wrote.

He further claimed to have directed the "Department of War"—his rebranded name for the Department of Defense—to prepare for a potential operation. "If we attack, it will be fast, vicious and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians!" the post stated.

The rhetoric aligns with a recent policy move by the Trump administration. On Friday, the U.S. State Department reinstated Nigeria on its list of “Countries of Particular Concern” for engaging in or tolerating "systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom."

However, the White House has not publicly provided evidence to substantiate the claim that Christians are being targeted more than other religious or ethnic groups in Nigeria, a country grappling with multiple security crises, including the Boko Haram insurgency and farmer-herder conflicts. The Nigerian government has firmly denied the allegation.

In response to Trump's threats, Abuja has downplayed the remarks. A government statement said Nigeria welcomes international cooperation, including from the United States, in its ongoing fight against militant groups, but did not directly address the prospect of unilateral U.S. military intervention.