Rap star Nicki Minaj expressed gratitude toward President Donald Trump for addressing the plight of Christians facing persecution in Nigeria, praising his recent remarks on Truth Social. “Reading this made me feel a deep sense of gratitude. We live in a country where we can freely worship God. No group should ever be persecuted for practicing their religion. We don’t have to share the same beliefs in order for us to respect each other,” Minaj said.
She emphasized the global scale of religious persecution, stating, “Numerous countries all around the world are being affected by this horror & it’s dangerous to pretend we don’t notice. Thank you to The President & his team for taking this seriously. God bless every persecuted Christian. Let’s remember to lift them up in prayer.”
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz commended Minaj for leveraging her platform to advocate for persecuted Christians in Nigeria, urging unity against such atrocities. “We cannot allow this to continue. Every brother and sister of Christ must band together and say, ‘Enough!’” he added.
The crisis in Nigeria has escalated, with Islamist groups responsible for burning villages, murdering worshippers during Sunday services, and displacing thousands. Mark Walker, Trump’s ambassador-designate for International Religious Freedom, highlighted the severity, stating, “Even being conservative, it’s probably 4,000 to 8,000 Christians killed annually.” He criticized the Nigerian government’s inaction against groups like ISWAP and Islamist Fulani militias.
Trump announced plans to investigate the situation through members of the House Appropriations Committee and designated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” (CPC) under U.S. law. This designation signals systemic religious freedom violations, including persecution by extremist groups. The president also threatened to halt all aid to Nigeria if the government fails to address the violence, warning of potential military intervention.
“I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet,” Trump stated, vowing to target “Islamic Terrorists” committing atrocities against Christians.
Senator Ted Cruz praised Trump’s decision, citing his 2025 Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act aimed at sanctioning Nigerian officials complicit in violence against religious minorities. “Today’s designation is a critical step in holding accountable and changing the behavior of Nigerian officials who have facilitated and created an environment conducive to the outrages in Nigeria,” Cruz said.