House Armed Services Committee member backs Trump’s airstrike in Nigeria

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Rep. Mike Turner defended the Trump administration’s Christmas Day airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Nigeria during a Sunday appearance on ABC’s “This Week,” asserting the operations align with U.S. foreign policy and are essential for combating global extremism. The Ohio Republican, who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, told reporter Jonathan Karl that such strikes will continue as long as ISIS and similar groups pose threats worldwide.

U.S. forces struck multiple Islamic State targets in northwest Nigeria on Thursday, which President Trump characterized as retaliation for years of terror attacks on Christian civilians in the African nation. U.S. Africa Command confirmed the operations were coordinated with the Nigerian government, which has struggled to contain ISIS and its growing affiliates in the country.

Turner’s stance reflects broader Republican support for the strikes, with Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, also on the House Armed Services Committee, praising the action as saving innocent lives. However, Democratic lawmakers have raised significant concerns about the operations’ legality and strategic implications.

Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan questioned whether the White House has proper congressional authority to escalate conflicts abroad, while Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, called the strikes “unnecessarily escalatory” and warned they could push the U.S. toward a “global religious war.” Democrats also criticized the administration’s focus on Christian persecution as potentially unproductive and dangerous, particularly as the Nigerian government denies ongoing persecution of Christian civilians.

The Nigerian operation represents part of the Trump administration’s expanded campaign against ISIS worldwide. Recent weeks have seen intensified assaults on the terror group, including strikes against more than 70 ISIS targets in Syria on December 20, following a terrorist attack that killed two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter earlier that month.

Analysts warn that ISIS may be experiencing a resurgence both as an organized faction and as inspiration for extremists globally. The recent deadly antisemitic attack at Australia’s Bondi Beach was reportedly ISIS-inspired, according to Australian authorities.

President Trump offered limited operational details in a Christmas evening Truth Social post but warned against what some characterize as ethnic cleansing of Christians. U.S. Africa Command struck targets in Nigeria’s Sokoto State region near the northwestern border with Niger.

Nigeria joins Somalia as African nations where Trump has ordered new or expanded military operations, with the U.S. conducting over 100 strikes against terror targets in Somalia this year. The Trump administration added Nigeria to a U.S. watchlist as a “country of particular concern,” citing statistics from Open Doors showing 3,100 Christians killed there last year—representing nearly 70% of Christians killed worldwide.

Read more: Rep. Turner defends strikes against Islamic State in Nigeria as Democrats question tactics