U.S. President Donald Trump said that terrorists “know what is coming” if they attack Christians, portraying his robust stance against groups accused of targeting Christian communities in Nigeria and suggesting the United States could respond forcefully if such violence continues.
He stated this at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, DC on Thursday. “When Christians come under attack, terrorists know they are going to be attacked violently and viciously by President Trump. I know it is not a nice thing to say, but that is the way it is,” he added.
Trump’s remarks came amid continued international attention on Nigeria’s security situation following recent claims by Trump and some US lawmakers that Christians in Nigeria face widespread violence.
PUNCH Online had reported that Trump designated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” over alleged attacks on Christians, a move that drew criticism from the Nigerian government, which rejected the claims as inaccurate and harmful to national unity.
Trump addressed various global security issues and how his administration was working to defeat dangerous extremist groups.
Trump said that the U.S. military under his administration had “knocked out” the Islamic State (ISIS) in Nigeria because of how they were attacking Christians.
Trump said he was defeating ISIS when he first entered office, but claimed the group resurged during the four years he was out of office. He also said ISIS was responsible for killing Christians in Nigeria.
“When I was out of office for four years, ISIS rebuilt again. We had a bit of ISIS again, but we knocked the hell out of them the other day in Nigeria because they were killing Christians,” Trump said.
Trump added that ISIS would not be allowed to continue killing Christians, and he warned that he would respond strongly if they did.
