Journalist and former Al Jazeera/MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan criticised U.S. President Donald Trump on X after the president warned the United States might suspend aid to Nigeria and even launch military action over reported attacks on Christians. Hasan called the post “insanely threatening” and mocked Trump’s peace credentials, saying the “’peace president’, who says he deserved a Nobel Peace Prize, is insanely threatening to attack and invade Nigeria.”

Trump’s post — shared on his social platform on November 1, 2025 — said that if the Nigerian government continued to “allow the killing of Christians,” the U.S. would “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.” He added that he had directed the Pentagon to “prepare for possible action.”

The president’s remarks prompted swift international reaction and a firm rebuttal from Abuja. Nigeria’s government rejected the characterisation of state policy as permitting attacks on Christians and stressed its commitment to protecting citizens of all faiths, while some U.S. and international outlets flagged the comments as a major escalation in rhetoric.

Hasan’s rebuke joins broader criticism from commentators and diplomats who warned that threats of unilateral military action risk undermining diplomatic channels and Nigeria’s sovereignty. Observers noted that while concerns about violence and extremist groups in parts of Nigeria are longstanding, responses that move straight to threats of force have raised questions about legal, political and humanitarian consequences.

As the fallout continued, analysts said the episode could complicate U.S.–Nigeria relations and amplify diplomatic debate over how best to address communal violence and terrorist groups in the region without escalating to direct military intervention.