Trump Blasts Tinubu’s Administration as “Disgrace,” Threatens to Halt U.S. Subsidy to Nigeria
U.S. President Donald Trump has sharply criticised the administration of President Bola Tinubu, describing Nigeria as “a disgrace” over what he called unchecked killings of Christians. He warned that the United States may withdraw the subsidies and foreign aid Nigeria currently receives.
Speaking during an appearance on Fox News Radio’s The Brian Kilmeade Show on Friday night, Mr Trump accused the Nigerian government of failing to stop what he repeatedly referred to as a “genocide.”
“I think Nigeria is a disgrace. The whole thing is a disgrace. They’re killing people by the thousands. It’s a genocide. And I’m really angry about it,” he said.
Mr Trump claimed that the Tinubu administration had been ineffective in addressing religious violence, insisting that Christians were being targeted in large numbers. He added that his intervention brought global attention to the killings.
“The government’s done nothing. They are very ineffective. They’re killing Christians at will. And you know, until I got involved in it two weeks ago — nobody even talked about it,” he said.
The U.S. president further suggested that Nigeria does not deserve continued American financial support.
“We give a lot of subsidy to Nigeria, which we’re going to end up stopping,” he warned.
Earlier this month, Mr Trump designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern,” citing persistent attacks on Christian communities. He also threatened potential U.S. military action to curb the activities of Islamic extremists—comments that triggered heated exchanges between supporters of both presidents online.
While Mr Tinubu’s allies maintain that banditry and terrorism affect all religious and ethnic groups, Christian leaders insist that their communities are being disproportionately targeted and accuse the government of downplaying the fatalities.
Recent incidents have renewed public anxiety. Twenty-five schoolgirls were abducted in Kebbi State earlier this week, while two worshippers were killed during an attack on a church in Eruku, Kwara State, on Tuesday. On Friday morning, more than 300 students were kidnapped from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Niger State.
Amid rising tensions, President Tinubu dispatched his National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to Washington on Thursday to meet with U.S. National Security Adviser Pete Hegseth as part of efforts to strengthen cooperation in tackling insecurity.
In a related development, U.S. lawmaker Riley Moore has called for clemency for Sunday Jackson, a Christian farmer sentenced to death for killing a Fulani herdsman who allegedly attacked his farm—a conviction upheld by Nigeria’s Supreme Court in March 2025.
