As millions of Americans were celebrating Christmas, Donald Trump was launching new military strikes, excitedly announcing that he bombed alleged ISIS terrorists in Nigeria to avenge a non-existent Christian genocide.
“Under my leadership, our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper,” Trump wrote in an unhinged Truth Social post. “May God Bless our Military, and MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues.”
Of course, while there is undoubtedly terroristic violence in Nigeria, there is no evidence that it is a Christian genocide, as Trump claimed.
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“Portraying Nigeria’s security challenges as a targeted campaign against a single religious group is a gross misrepresentation of reality,” the Nigerian government wrote in a post on X back in September. “Terrorists attack all who reject their murderous ideology—Muslims, Christians, and those of no faith alike.”
What’s more, even if there was a Christian genocide to avenge, Trump would need to go to Congress to get authorization for the strikes—which he did not do.
“There’s no authority for strikes on terrorists in Nigeria or anywhere on earth. The 2001 [Authorization for Use of Military Force] is only for the perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks,” former Rep. Justin Amash, a Republican who left the party in protest of Trump, wrote in a post on X. “The War Powers Resolution doesn’t grant any authority beyond the Constitution. Offensive military actions need congressional approval. The Framers of the Constitution divided war powers to protect the American people from war-eager executives. Whether the United States should engage in conflicts across the globe is a decision for the people’s representatives in Congress, not the president.”
But Trump has ignored the Constitution to launch multiple military strikes without Congress’ input, one of the many ways he’s shredded the founding documents of this country to simply do what he wants.
Just last week, Trump launched airstrikes against alleged ISIS targets in Syria. And let’s not forget his attack on Iran earlier in the year.
And, of course, Trump has been carrying out illegal military actions in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific without congressional approval, some of which likely constitute war crimes.
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Trump claimed, without providing any evidence, that the boats the military is blowing up are trafficking drugs. Yet even if they are, that does not give him carte blanche to launch strikes without Congress’ go-ahead.
Ultimately, Trump’s bloodlust is completely counter to his campaign promise that he would not launch new wars if elected president.
It’s also a joke given that he has deemed himself the “peace president” as he campaigns endlessly for a Nobel Peace Prize.
But GOP lawmakers, who have neutered themselves of their constitutionally granted powers to let their Dear Leader do whatever he wants, don’t care.
In fact, many of them were cheering Trump’s latest military strikes.
“Thank you @POTUS for standing up against Christian persecution. The PEACE President!!” Rep. Ralph Norman, the South Carolina Republican who is groveling for Trump’s endorsement in his bid for governor of the Palmetto State, wrote in a post onX.
Rep. Mike Collins, a Georgia Republican running for Senate in the Peach State, even posted an image of a military plane with a Santa hat along with the text “Merry Christmas, Nigerian terrorists.”
Merry Christmas, indeed.
