American rap star/hip-hop artist Nicki Minaj recently thanked President Trump for drawing attention to the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social on Friday. “The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria, and numerous other countries. We stand ready, willing, and able to save our great Christian population around the world!”
Minaj, who often speaks about her Christian faith, said the president’s remarks made her feel “a deep sense of gratitude.”
“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 wrote. “Numerous countries all around the world are being affected by this horror [and] it’s dangerous to pretend we don’t notice. Thank you to the president [and] his team for taking this seriously. God bless every persecuted Christian. Let’s remember to lift them up in prayer.”
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.
Numerous countries all… pic.twitter.com/2M5sPiviQu
— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) November 1, 2025
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz thanked Minaj for “using your platform to speak out in defense of the Christians being persecuted in Nigeria.”
“We cannot allow this to continue,” Waltz added. “Every brother and sister of Christ must band together and say, ‘Enough!'”
.@NICKIMINAJ, thank you for using your platform to speak out in defense of the Christians being persecuted in Nigeria.
We cannot allow this to continue. Every brother and sister of Christ must band together and say, “Enough!”
If you ever find yourself in New York, come by the… https://t.co/UwRmZ4cATd
— Ambassador Mike Waltz (@michaelgwaltz) November 1, 2025
The situation for Christians in Nigeria has grown dire, with entire villages burned, worshippers killed during Sunday services, and thousands displaced by Islamist groups sweeping across the country.
Even being conservative, it’s probably 4,000 to 8,000 Christians killed annually,” Mark Walker, Trump’s ambassador-designate for International Religious Freedom, told Fox News Digital. “This has been going on for years — from ISWAP to Islamist Fulani ethnic militias — and the Nigerian government has to be much more proactive.”
Trump said he has directed Reps. Riley Moore (R-W.Va.) and Tom Cole (R-Okla.), along with the House Appropriations Committee, to investigate the violence and report back to him. He also announced plans to designate Nigeria a “country of particular concern” under the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act, which applies to nations that tolerate severe violations of religious liberty.
“Nigeria is the most dangerous nation on Earth to follow Christ,” the House Appropriations Committee said in a statement. “For simply practicing their faith, Christians are actively being kidnapped, attacked, and slaughtered. With President Trump announcing he will be redesignating Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, the United States is making clear in one resolute voice: religious persecution will not be tolerated. The scourge of anti-Christian violence and oppression of other religious minorities by radical Islamic terrorists is an affront to religious freedom. This is a critical step in mobilizing leadership and attention to confront evil extremism.”
The committee vowed that once the government shutdown is over, its members will “continue moving full-year appropriations across the finish line to uphold your priorities. We know you’ll be ready at your desk with a pen in hand.”
