Congress Must Stop Trump’s Illegal Nigeria Strikes

On Christmas Day, the United States carried out military airstrikes in Nigeria at the unilateral direction of Donald Trump. These strikes were announced after the fact on social media, framed as a counterterrorism operation, and justified with inflammatory rhetoric about protecting Christians abroad. This is unacceptable — legally, constitutionally, and morally. The U.S. Constitution is explicit: only Congress has the authority to declare war or authorize the use of military force. Nigeria does not pose an imminent threat to the United States. There has been no congressional authorization, no debate, and no vote. That alone makes these strikes unlawful. Equally troubling is the timing. These attacks occurred amid growing public outrage over the administration’s obstruction, redaction, and apparent suppression of the Epstein files. Once again, military force appears to be used as a political distraction — a familiar tactic to redirect media attention, rally partisan support, and cloak executive misconduct in the language of “national security.” The Trump regime's justification also collapses under scrutiny. Nigeria is a complex, multi-religious, constitutionally secular country facing criminal violence driven by poverty, climate stress, land conflict, and weak governance. Framing that violence as a simple campaign against Christians is misleading and dangerous. It inflames sectarian tensions, distorts reality, and risks escalating a conflict the United States neither understands nor controls. Donald Trump campaigned as a “president of peace,” promising no new wars. Instead, his administration has expanded U.S. military action across multiple regions while bypassing Congress entirely. This is not peace — it is executive overreach. If Congress allows this precedent to stand, then the War Powers Clause becomes meaningless. Any president, of any party, could bomb another country at will and dare Congress to object after the fact. That is not how a constitutional democracy functions. Congress must act immediately to: • Reassert its exclusive authority over war and the use of military force • Demand a full legal justification and operational briefing on the Nigeria strikes • Prohibit further military action absent explicit congressional authorization • Reject the use of war as a tool to distract from domestic corruption and accountability failures Silence is consent. If Congress does not check this abuse of power now, it will own the consequences later.