“Merry Christmas to everyone, including the deceased terrorist.”

President Donald Trump posted a series of rants on social media on Christmas Day, including one announcing military action in Nigeria.

“Tonight, at my direction as Commander-in-Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly offensive against the remnants of ISIS terrorists in northwestern Nigeria, who have been targeting primarily innocent Christians and brutally killing them at levels not seen in years, or even centuries,” the president wrote just before 6 p.m. ET on Dec. 25.

“I previously warned these terrorists that if they did not stop their slaughter of Christians, they would face the consequences of hell, and tonight there was hell indeed,” he continued. “The Department of the Army has carried out many perfect attacks, something only the United States can do. Under my leadership, our country will not allow radical Islamic terrorism to flourish.”

President Trump added, “God bless our troops. Merry Christmas to everyone, including the terrorists who died. If the massacre of Christians continues, there will be more terrorists.”

In another post, President Trump, 79, slammed “a bunch of sleazebags who loved Jeffrey Epstein,” the New York Times, and the Democratic Party for accusing Russian interference in the 2016 election.

“Now, the same losers are being accused again. This time, so many of our mostly innocent friends will be severely harmed and their reputations tarnished,” he warned. “But sadly, that’s the reality in the world of corrupt Democratic Party politics!!! Enjoy what could be your last Merry Christmas!”

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U.S. Africa Command (Africom) confirmed the Christmas airstrike in a statement to The Hill, saying the military action was “at the request of Nigerian authorities in Soboto state to kill multiple ISIS terrorists.”

“The deadly attack against ISIS demonstrates the strength of our military and our commitment to eliminating terrorist threats to Americans at home and abroad,” Africom said in a statement.

President Trump designated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” in November. Religious violence has been a growing concern in the Muslim-majority country in recent years, with around 17,000 civilians killed between October 2019 and September 2024 due to the involvement of terrorist groups such as ISIS, ISWAP and Boko Haram, according to data compiled by the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa (ORFA). The rate of civilian abductions also increased significantly during this period.

Several celebrities have taken up the cause and urged the Trump administration to take action in Nigeria. Rapper Nicki Minaj spoke at the United Nations on November 18th and praised the president for allowing her to speak out about religious violence.

Minaj, 42, opened her speech by saying, “I want to thank President Trump for prioritizing this issue and his leadership on the world stage in calling for urgent action to protect Christians in Nigeria, combat extremism, and end violence against those who simply want to express their natural right to freedom of religion and belief.”

“Freedom of religion means we can all sing our faith, no matter who we are, where we live, or what we believe. But today, faith is under attack in too many places,” she continued. “Christians are being targeted, forced from their homes, and murdered. Churches are set on fire, families are torn apart, and entire communities live in constant fear because of the way they pray.”

Minaj reiterated in her remarks that her decision to speak was “not about taking sides or dividing people. It’s about uniting humanity.”

“That’s something I’ve always stood for throughout my career and will continue to stand for for the rest of my life,” she concluded.

Minaj continued her support for Trump during her controversial appearance at Turning Point USA’s America Fest event on December 21st.

The “Super Bass” rapper exited holding hands with Turning Point CEO Erica Kirk, who attended her first political rally in Phoenix after the death of husband Charlie Kirk.

“I have the utmost respect and admiration for the president. I don’t know if he knows it or not, but he gave hope to a lot of people,” the rapper responded.

Asked about her decision to support Trump, Minaj said she was “tired of being pushed around.”

“There’s something inside me that’s stronger than what’s outside. So when you get bored enough, you realize, ‘Wait a minute, why should I care about these people and what they think? Who are they?'” They don’t even know who they are. So I’m not going to back down anymore. I’m never going to back down again,” she explained.

Minaj deactivated her Instagram account after receiving backlash for appearing at a conservative event.