In moments of national crisis, there is a tendency to reach for simple labels and explanations to make sense of complex tragedies. There are multiple types of conflicts unfolding in Nigeria which cannot be boiled down to being merely a religious issue, nor solely an ethnic one. However, what is clear is that there is a genocide happening, and by deflecting and downplaying this with rhetoric, the government is violating its fundamental constitutional obligation as a state which protects its citizens. This, following Trump’s recent outcry and his threatening ultimatum to the Nigerian government, stating that unless the killing of Christians is stopped, US troops could be deployed ‘guns-a-blazing’ to wipe out the terrorists. His emphasis on Christian deaths begs the once more resurfacing question: Is it about Christians or Nigerians? It is a question rooted in grief, frustration, and years of unaddressed violence.