US Conducts Christmas Day Airstrikes Against Islamic State Targets in Nigeria with GOP Support
On 26 December 2025, the US conducted Christmas Day airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Nigeria, focusing on Offa in Kwara state, in cooperation with the Nigerian government. Trump supporters framed the strikes as a direct response to killings of Christians by Islamic State militants in Nigeria, with Laura Loomer stating that the US defense department described it as such.
Republican lawmakers publicly praised the operation, including Randy Fine who called it an "amazing Christmas present," while others such as Ted Budd, Bill Huizenga, Tom Cotton, and Riley Moore also expressed support. The action fits a broader GOP narrative of defending Christians and countering Islamic extremism amid debates over US foreign interventions elsewhere, including Venezuela.
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) had warned in July that the Nigerian government was frequently unable to prevent or slow violent attacks by Islamic State affiliates and other groups. In October, Senator Ted Cruz stated that the US would hold perpetrators of anti-Christian violence in Nigeria accountable.
Days earlier, the US had also struck Islamic State networks in Syria after an attack that killed US service members and a civilian, with CENTCOM stating that the Syria strikes were crucial to preventing IS-inspired attacks.
