A former George W. Bush speechwriter says Donald Trump just told on himself. David Frum, the conservative writer and Atlantic columnist, pointed to Trump’s weekend threat of military action against Nigeria and said the muted reaction at home and abroad reveals a deeper problem for the 79-year-old president. “The fact that few express much upset at this bluster is a marker of how little respect this blowhard president commands at home or abroad,” Frum wrote.
Trump spent the weekend doubling down on claims that Christians are being slaughtered in Africa’s most populous nation, warning that the United States could send troops or launch air strikes. Speaking to reporters, he said there “could be” forces on the ground or air operations, and he reiterated that aid could be cut if Abuja did not act. Reports suggested that Trump had asked the Pentagon to prepare options, sparking a scramble in Washington and Nigeria’s capital as diplomats tried to calm the fallout.
Nigeria’s government quickly rejected the accusation and the implied threat. Officials said Trump’s comments were misleading and that any U.S. involvement must respect Nigeria’s sovereignty. President Bola Tinubu’s administration stressed that violence in the country affects both Christians and Muslims, and warned that inflammatory rhetoric from abroad could make a difficult security situation even worse. Analysts across major outlets have noted that most of the unrest stems from local insurgencies, criminal gangs, and resource disputes rather than religion.
For Frum, that wasn’t the main issue. It was the lack of alarm over Trump’s words that troubled him most. “Yesterday afternoon, Trump threatened to launch a military attack on the most populous country in sub-Saharan Africa,” he wrote. “If any previous president issued a personal statement, ‘I’m considering massive military strikes in sub-Saharan Africa,’ there would be tumult—even panic. But with Trump, everybody shrugs, including his own supporters. ‘That’s Trump. He says things. He’s full of s—. Next?’”
The incident underscores a credibility gap that has dogged Trump throughout his time on the global stage. Outlets across the political spectrum picked up his remarks, including his warning that the U.S. “may very well go into that now disgraced country, guns-a-blazing.” The statement thrilled parts of his MAGA base but unsettled diplomats, who were left wondering whether the threat was bluster or an actual policy directive.
Nigeria remains a key U.S. partner in the fight against terrorism and instability in West Africa. It is also a major economic hub with growing strategic importance. That is why Frum’s warning struck a chord among foreign policy observers who fear Trump’s unpredictability could erode long-standing alliances.
Frum’s conclusion was a blunt assessment showing the world no longer takes Trump’s words seriously. The ability of a U.S. president to command attention and respect used to be a given. Now, he argued, Trump’s outbursts are greeted with shrugs, both from his critics and his supporters. And that, he said, might be the most revealing part of all.
Whether Trump actually takes military action in Nigeria is yet to be seen but it’s most likely a political statement rather than an intervention plan.
