Many Young Americans “Too Fat or Too Stupid” to Join Military, Says Pentagon Chief
December 19, 2025

Pete Hegseth, U.S. Secretary of Defense, caused controversy by claiming that a significant number of young Americans are unable to qualify for military service due to being “too fat or too stupid,” citing factors like poor education, criminal records, and medical conditions such as ADHD. He made the remarks during a speech praising military recruiters for achieving “historic recruiting numbers.”

Hegseth emphasized that the military should return “to the basics” and focus on core values such as accountability, discipline, meritocracy, readiness, and lethality, rejecting diversity quotas and appearance-based considerations. He introduced the “Department of War Golden Rule,” urging commanders to treat troops as they would want their own children treated.

He also announced a $1,776 “warrior dividend” for about 1.45 million service members and reservists as a token of gratitude. Hegseth concluded by thanking recruiters and their families, praising their role in building a strong military.

US House of Representatives launches Probe into Christian Genocide in Nigeria.

The United States House of Representatives Subcommittee on Africa will hold a public hearing on Thursday, November 20, 2025, to scrutinise President Donald Trump’s decision to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over alleged religious freedom violations.

The session, slated for 11 a.m. in Room 2172 of the Rayburn House Office Building and streamed live online, will be chaired by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), a long-time advocate on global religious liberty issues.

According to an invitation issued to members of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, the hearing will convene two panels. The first panel will feature senior officials from the US Department of State, including Jonathan Pratt, the Senior Bureau Official for African Affairs, and Jacob McGee, Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.

A second panel will include prominent voices from religious and policy organisations, among them the Director of the Centre for Religious Freedom, Ms. Nina Shea; Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of the Makurdi Catholic Diocese; and Ms. Oge Onubogu of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

The review will assess the scale of religious persecution in Nigeria and explore possible US responses, ranging from targeted sanctions to humanitarian assistance and increased cooperation with Nigerian authorities.

Trump’s Hardline Position
President Trump reignited debate on October 31, 2025, when he returned Nigeria to the CPC list, a designation that paves the way for sweeping punitive measures against foreign officials implicated in religious repression. In a strongly worded statement the following day, he alleged that Christians in Nigeria were facing an “existential threat,” claiming thousands had been killed by Islamist extremists.

“If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the USA will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria,” Trump warned. “We may very well go into that country ‘guns-a-blazing’ to completely wipe out the terrorists committing these atrocities.”

He also directed the US “Department of War” to prepare for possible intervention, saying any strike would be “fast, vicious, and sweet.”

Nigeria not Iraq, our mosquitoes waiting for your soldiers – Ex-security expert tells Trump.

An ex-security expert, Comrade Mohammed Ali, has warned the US President Donald Trump against invading Nigeria with his military.

Mohammed, in a viral video, could be heard saying that there is no Christian genocide in Nigeria as claimed by the US President and some of his lawmakers.

Recall that Trump recently designated Nigeria as Country of Particular Concerns over alleged killing of unsuspecting Christians.

Trump also said that the US department of war has been informed to prepare for possible action in Nigeria if the federal government fails to address the highly disputed claim.

But in the viral video, the ex-Security expert said Nigerians have been living together in peace despite their religious differences.

He warned that mosquitoes in Nigeria will infect the US soldiers and kill them instantly if they try invading Nigeria.

He said, “Trump should be aware that we are not suffering from regionalism, tribalism, we are not persecuting Christians, we are all living together as with the Christians and other religions. We are only suffering from humanitarianism.

“Mr Donald Trump, be aware that Nigeria is not Afghanistan, Nigeria is not Iraq. if you try to enter Nigeria with your armed forces, our mosquitos are waiting for your soldiers to bite and infect them with malaria fever and they will die instantly”.

US Military Draws Up Plans For Airstrikes In Nigeria Following Trump’s Order On Terrorists.

According to the report, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) has submitted several options to the Department of War, responding to a request from Secretary Pete Hegseth for operational plans in line with Trump’s directive.

The United States military has drafted contingency plans for possible military action in Nigeria following an order from President Donald Trump, who directed the Pentagon to “prepare to intervene” to protect Christians from attacks by Islamic militants, The New York Times reports.

According to the report, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) has submitted several options to the Department of War, responding to a request from Secretary Pete Hegseth for operational plans in line with Trump’s directive.

Military officials said that the proposals, labelled “heavy,” “medium,” and “light”, outline different levels of potential engagement in Nigeria.

The “heavy option,” the officials said, would represent the most aggressive U.S. action: deploying an aircraft carrier strike group to the Gulf of Guinea and launching fighter jets or long-range bombers to hit militant targets deep inside northern Nigeria.

U.S. Drafts Military Options for Possible Action in Northern Nigeria as Trump Issues Intervention statement.

The United States military has drafted a range of contingency plans for possible action in Nigeria after President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to “prepare to intervene” over alleged attacks on Christians claims Nigerian officials insist are false.

According to The New York Times, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) has submitted three tiers of operational proposals to the Department of War at the request of Secretary Pete Hegseth. The plans are categorized as heavy, medium, and light options.

Under the heavy option, an aircraft carrier strike group would be deployed to the Gulf of Guinea, with fighter jets or long-range bombers striking targets in northern Nigeria.
The medium option involves drone strikes using MQ-9 Reaper and MQ-1 Predator aircraft against militant camps, convoys, and vehicles.

The light option focuses on intelligence sharing, logistics, and joint missions with Nigerian forces against Boko Haram and other Islamist groups.

Military officials warn that none of the limited options would end Nigeria’s long-running insurgency without a massive, Iraq-style campaign something Washington is not prepared to pursue.

Trump has maintained his threat, saying the U.S. is “ready, willing, and able” to act if the alleged persecution of Christians continues.

China has meanwhile declared firm support for Nigeria, warning against countries using religion or human rights as excuses to interfere in other nations’ internal affairs.

Nigeria has also pushed back strongly. Daniel Bwala, an aide to President Bola Tinubu, said there is no evidence of state-backed religious genocide and urged Washington to respect Nigeria’s sovereignty. He stressed that Nigeria needs equipment and intelligence not foreign troops on its soil.

FG Should Take Trump Seriously’ – Ex-DSS Director.

A former director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mike Ejiofor, has advised the Federal Government to take United States President, Donald Trump’s Christian genocide claims and threat of military action seriously.

Trump, barely a day after declaring Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), threatened military action in Nigeria over alleged killings of Christians.

In the explosive post on his Truth Social Platform, Trump said, “If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities.

“I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet.”

However, Ejiofor, during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme, urged the Nigerian government to explore diplomatic means to resolve the issue.

While the Federal Government has dismissed the allegations and restated its commitment to religious freedom, the former DSS director said Trump’s comment should not be dismissed as mere play.

He said, “I think the Federal Government should take Donald Trump seriously. I’m calling on the Nigerian government to explore all diplomatic channels.

“You see, it is a very serious matter when you talk of Donald Trump. I take a very serious exception to the statement credited to Donald Trump because he says what he wants to do, and he will go ahead to do it,” Ejiofor said. “So, it is not a play that we can gloss over. It is a threat.”

US releases AI video showing how it could storm Nigeria to wipe out ‘Islamic terrorists.

The United States Department of War has sparked global attention after releasing an artificial intelligence (AI) video simulating military action in Nigeria aimed at eliminating “Islamic terrorists.”

The announcement comes amid claims of targeted attacks against Christians in Africa’s most populous nation.

Trump Warns of Possible Military Action
President Donald Trump stated that he had instructed the US Department of War to prepare for potential “fast” military intervention in Nigeria.

The warning emphasized that action may be taken if the Nigerian government fails to address what Trump described as the ongoing killing of Christians in the country.

AI Video Sparks Controversy

The video, generated using AI, depicts a simulated military operation in Nigeria.

It was shared on social media by Dominik Tarczyński, a member of the European Parliament, who wrote: “Nigerian Christians will be rescued very soon!”

The clip quickly went viral, drawing both concern and criticism from observers worldwide.

Background: Religious Tensions in Nigeria
Nigeria, home to over 200 million people and roughly 200 ethnic groups, remains deeply divided along religious lines.

“Nigeria Is Not a Colony!” — Tinubu’s Aide Warns Trump Against U.S. Military Operation Without Consent

The Special Adviser on Policy Communication to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Daniel Bwala, has issued a strong warning to the United States government, declaring that it would be diplomatically unacceptable for America to carry out any military operation in Nigeria without official consent.

Speaking in an interview with BBC World Service on Monday, Bwala emphasized that Nigeria remains a sovereign nation, and any foreign intervention must be based on mutual respect and collaboration.

“If it’s a joint operation with Nigeria, that’s acceptable,” Bwala stated.
“But diplomatically, it is wrong to invade a sovereign nation without collaboration — especially one that remains a strategic partner in the fight against insecurity.”


His remarks came after U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly designated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” over alleged persecution of Christians, and hinted at deploying America’s Department of War to combat terrorist groups he claimed were targeting Christians in the country.

Bwala dismissed the notion of a unilateral intervention, stressing that such an act would violate international law unless there is evidence of government complicity — which, he maintained, is “certainly not the case in Nigeria.”

“Unilateral intervention only happens when a government is complicit in a crisis. That’s not Nigeria’s situation,” he said.


He reaffirmed that while Nigeria welcomes collaboration against terrorism, it would never tolerate external interference that undermines its independence or dignity as a nation.

Tinubu’s aide, Daniel Bwala, defends Nigeria’s sovereignty, warning that any U.S. military operation without consent would be a violation of international diplomacy.

We’ll Fight It Out If US Military Invades Nigeria Fani-Kayode Warns Trump.

According to a report by Nigeria Tribune, on Sunday November 2, 2025, former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode has declared that Nigerians will fight back if the United States attempts to invade the country, following President Donald Trump's directive to the Department of War to prepare for potential military action against Nigeria.

Trump announced on Saturday that he had instructed the Pentagon to begin planning for possible military operations in Nigeria, accusing the government of failing to address what he described as the killing of Christians.

The U.S. president warned that America would immediately halt all aid and assistance to Nigeria if attacks on Christians continued, and threatened to go into the country "guns-a-blazing" to eliminate Islamic terrorists.

Responding to Trump's threat in a post on social media platform X on Sunday, Fani-Kayode strongly condemned the U.S. president's statements.

The former minister stated that if Washington carried out its military threat, Nigerians would not flee but would instead stand their ground and engage in armed resistance.

In his words “My response to her was as follows. ‘You are right. They are evil and, if he carries out his abominable threat, there will be a war. We shall not leave the country but we will fight it out with them" he said.

Fani-Kayode criticized what he viewed as Nigerian complacency in the face of international pressure and called for bold leadership to confront foreign intimidation.

He suggested that Trump's actions were influenced by geopolitical allies, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and questioned why the U.S. administration had not applied similar labels to violence in Sudan while focusing on Nigeria

Nigeria run by lawless govt, relying on thugs – Binance’s Tigran Gambaryan.

Tigran Gambaryan, former Binance Holdings Limited’s head of financial Compliance, has said Nigeria is run by a lawless government.

Gambaryan disclosed that the Nigerian government depends on criminals and thugs more interested in enriching themselves.

He was reacting to President Donald Trump of the United States, US, threat to cut US aides to Nigeria if the government fails to stop the killing of Christians.

Trump also ordered his country’s Department of War to prepare for a possible action of wiping out Islamic terrorists if the Nigerian government fails to protect Christians.

Posting on his coal media, the US President charged the Nigerian government to act now and protect. Christians.

This comes as Trump has designated Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern.

The designation followed the alleged killing of Christians by Islamic terrorists.

Reacting, Gambaryan wrote on X: “Nigeria is currently run by a lawless regime that relies on criminals and thugs more interested in enriching themselves than in taking care of their citizens. Cowboy up.”

US will invade Nigeria if you don’t stop Killing of Christians – Trump replies President Tinubu.

The President of the United States, Donald Trump has threatened to send Military Troops to Nigeria “guns-a-blazing” if the killing of Christians is not stopped.

He wrote on Truth Social;

“If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, “guns-a-blazing,” to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities.”

I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians! WARNING: THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT BETTER MOVE FAST!”

Christian genocide: We’re ready for action in Nigeria – Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth informs Trump.

United States Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, has said the Department of War is preparing for action in Nigeria following reports of attacks on Christians in the country.

Hegseth stated this on Saturday in a post on X, in response to President Donald Trump’s earlier comments threatening military intervention over alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

“Yes sir. The killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria — and anywhere — must end immediately. The Department of War is preparing for action. Either the Nigerian Government protects Christians, or we will kill the Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities,” he wrote.

President Trump had on Friday designated Nigeria as a country of particular concern.

He cited what he described as ongoing violence against Christians and the failure of the government to protect religious minorities.

However, the Nigerian government denied persecution of any religious group in Nigeria.

Trump directs nuclear weapons testing to resume for first time in over 30 years.

President Donald Trump called on US military leaders to resume testing US nuclear weapons in order to keep pace with other countries such as Russia and China.

"Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis," he wrote on social media just before meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea.

The US has more nuclear weapons than any other country, Trump said, with Russia second and China a "distant third". It has not conducted nuclear weapons testing since 1992.

It comes just days after Trump denounced Russia for testing a nuclear-powered missile, which reportedly has an unlimited range.

Trump's post on Wednesday night acknowledges the "tremendous destructive power" of nuclear weapons, but said he had "no choice" but to update and renovate the US arsenal during his first term in office.

He also said that China's nuclear programme "will be even within 5 years".

Trump's post did not include details of how the tests would occur, but wrote the "process will begin immediately".

It marks an apparent reversal of a long-standing US policy. The last US nuclear weapons test was in 1992, before former Republican President George HW Bush issued a moratorium as the Cold War ended.

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday that directs the Department of Defense to be known as the Department of War.