On Friday, Trump redesignated Nigeria as a
“country of particular concern” in response to allegations of targeted
Christian killings in the country.

“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria.
Thousands of Christians are being killed,” he wrote in a Truth Social post.

He blamed radical Islamists for the “mass slaughter”.

“I am hereby making Nigeria a ‘COUNTRY OF PARTICULAR
CONCERN’,” he declared.

The report by CNN said Trump was on ‘Air Force One’ on his
way to Florida when he watched the story and was immediately triggered by it.

Shortly after the plane touched down in West Palm Beach, the
president began posting on Truth Social

Thereafter, Trump fixated on the plight of Christians in
Nigeria throughout the weekend, which led him to ask his secretary of defence
to “prepare for possible action”.

The president also warned that US troops will
enter Nigeria “guns-a-blazing” to protect the Christian population.

CNN quoted a White House official as saying the president
has “been tracking this issue previously and had already begun thinking about
Truthing it out”.

The story added that sources familiar with Trump’s thinking
on the issue said the president’s threats are meant to “see how Nigeria
responds”.

Personnel within the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) were
reportedly abruptly recalled to headquarters over the weekend following Trump’s
social media post on Saturday.

A small group of personnel with AFRICOM, which is based in
Germany, were also quickly recalled to discuss potential courses of action.

CNN quoted a source as saying that Trump’s latest
sabre-rattling “was indicative of a broader frustration with the way potential
policy decisions are relayed over social media, with little planning done ahead
of time”.

Nigeria’s federal government has repeatedly
rejected US claims of “Christian genocide” in the country.