Trump signals US ‘could’ send troops or launch air strikes in Nigeria

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US President Donald Trump warned on Sunday that the US military could send troops into Nigeria or launch airstrikes to stop what he described as a mass killing of Christians in the country.

Asked if he envisioned ground or air strikes in Nigeria, Trump told reporters aboard the Air Force One: “Maybe. I mean, other things. I envision a lot of things.

“They are killing record numbers of Christians in Nigeria … they are killing Christians and killing them in huge numbers. We will not allow this to happen.”

Trump made the comments Sunday evening as he flew back to Washington after a weekend at a vacation home in Florida.

Trump threatened military action against Nigeria on Saturday if Africa’s most populous nation failed to end the killing of Christians.

The US president’s threat of military action comes a day after his administration added Nigeria to a list of “countries of particular concern” that the US says have violated religious freedoms. Other countries on the list include China, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia and Pakistan.

No Tomahawks for Ukraine

On Ukraine, Trump said he is not really considering giving Ukraine long-range Tomahawk missiles.

Asked by a reporter aboard Air Force One if he was considering supplying weapons to Ukraine, Trump replied: “No, not really.”

On October 12, Trump said he could offer long-range Tomahawk missiles that Kiev could use if Russian President Vladimir Putin did not end the war in Ukraine.

Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed Zelensky’s request for weapons, including tomahawks, as he flew to Israel.

Tomahawk missiles have a range of 2,500 km (1,550 mi), enough to strike deep inside Russia, including Moscow.

The Kremlin has warned Ukraine against any provision of tomahawks, and Trump has said they would be “a new step of aggression” if introduced in a war.

Trump avoids SC tariff arguments

He also said he would not attend upcoming Supreme Court oral arguments on the legality of his global tariffs.

A hearing of the justices is scheduled for Wednesday for arguments on the issue of rates. Trump told reporters on Air Force One that despite his desire to be there, he did not want to cause any distractions during the hearing.

“I wanted to go so bad,” Trump said as he flew back to Washington over the weekend in Florida. “I just don’t want to do anything to take away the importance of this decision. … I don’t want to draw too much attention to me. It’s not about me, it’s about our country.”

Arguments before the highest US court on Wednesday will be a major test of one of Trump’s boldest assertions of executive power over the legality of sweeping global tariffs, which are central to his economic and trade agenda.

The Supreme Court appealed the Justice Department’s lower court ruling that Trump overstepped his authority to impose most of his tariffs under a 1977 law known as the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

The rates were challenged by various businesses and 12 US states.

Trump has defended his use of tariffs to balance global trade flows, citing years of high duties imposed by other countries on US imports. His rates have boosted U.S. incomes and sent stock markets to a series of record highs, he said.

“If we don’t have tariffs, we don’t have national security, and the rest of the world will laugh at us because they’ve used tariffs against us and taken advantage of us for years,” he said.

“We’ve had abuses from many other countries, including China. For years, not anymore. Tariffs have brought us great national security,” he said.