In the wake of U.S. forces bombing alleged Islamic State militants in northwestern Nigeria on Dec. 25, President Donald Trump and his aides have continued to press the Nigerian government to address what they claim is a campaign of systematic persecution against Christians in the country. Trump told The New York Times earlier this month that he could order more airstrikes “if they continue to kill Christians.” And last week, a senior State Department official led a U.S. delegation to Abuja, where she said authorities “must do more to protect Christians.”The Christmas Day strikes came a month after Trump classified Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” or CPC, a designation for nations the U.S. government deems to be engaged in or tolerant of religious freedom violations and which the first Trump administration first applied to Nigeria in 2020 before it was revoked by President Joe Biden. Nigerian officials have said that they welcome any assistance from Washington in tackling terrorism and other security threats but reject the notion that Christians are being killed disproportionately or that the Nigerian state is allowing it to happen.