United States President Donald J. Trump, the leader of the United States of America, has warned that armed groups he described as terrorists “know what is coming” if they attack Christians, as he spoke about insecurity in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country.
Trump made the remarks on Thursday, 5 February 2026, during the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, District of Columbia, the capital of the United States, an annual gathering where political leaders and invited guests meet for prayers and speeches.
Speaking on violence affecting Christian communities, Trump said his response would be harsh if such attacks continued.
“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 said.
Okay News reports that his comments came as Nigeria’s security crisis continues to draw global attention, with some United States lawmakers and other voices claiming that Christians in parts of Nigeria face widespread and targeted violence.
Trump also referred to an earlier step he said he took against Nigeria, describing the country as a “country of particular concern” because of alleged attacks on Christians. Nigerian government officials had rejected those claims, saying they were inaccurate and could harm national unity in a diverse country with large Christian and Muslim populations.
During the same speech, Trump discussed international security challenges and said his administration was focused on defeating extremist groups that threaten civilians.
He claimed the United States military had severely weakened the Islamic State (ISIS) in Nigeria, linking the group to attacks on Christians. Trump said ISIS had been reduced during his first period in office but later regained strength when he was not in power.
“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,” he said.
He added that he would not allow ISIS to continue killing Christians and said he would respond strongly if the violence persisted.
