U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States may deploy troops to Nigeria or carry out air strikes to halt what he described as large-scale killings of Christians in the West African nation.
Asked whether he envisioned ground troops or air power, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One: “Could be… I envisage a lot of things,” adding that Christians were being killed “in very large numbers” and that Washington would not allow it to continue.
Trump spoke Sunday evening while returning to Washington after a weekend in Florida. A day earlier, he warned that the U.S. could take military action if Nigeria fails to stop the violence.
His remarks came after his administration restored Nigeria to the U.S. list of “Countries of Particular Concern” for severe violations of religious freedom. Other countries on the list include China, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia and Pakistan.