While Governor Gavin Newsom was shaking hands and making climate deals with Nigerian officials at the COP30 summit, a far more urgent crisis was being ignored—one that cries out for truth, justice, and courage. Newsom proudly announced that California was joining with Nigeria to fight climate change, focusing on clean transportation and pollution. But what he didn’t mention was the ongoing slaughter of Christians in the very country he was partnering with.
Let’s be clear: California is not a country. It has no business crafting international agreements while ignoring the suffering of innocent people. Governor Newsom may see himself as a global leader, but his actions show a troubling disconnect from reality. While he smiles for cameras, Nigerian Christians face brutal violence, forced displacement, and death—day after day.
The Biden administration, during its time in power, chose to downplay this crisis. They removed Nigeria from the list of Countries of Particular Concern, essentially turning a blind eye to what experts now call a genocide. But President Donald Trump, now back in office, has taken firm and moral action. In October 2025, he re-designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, recognizing the horrifying truth: Christians are being targeted and killed because of their faith.
A major investigation led by Mike Arnold, former mayor of Blanco City, Texas, brought this grim picture into full view. Arnold reported entire Christian villages destroyed, churches burned to the ground, and tens of thousands either killed or forced to flee. This is not just a land dispute between herders and farmers, as the Nigerian government claims. This is religious persecution—plain and simple.
The numbers are staggering. In just the first seven months of 2025, over 7,000 Christians were killed in Nigeria and nearly 8,000 abducted. Since 2009, at least 125,000 Christians have lost their lives, and more than 19,000 churches have been destroyed. Radical Islamic groups like Boko Haram and Fulani militias have carried out these attacks with little to no punishment. Meanwhile, the Nigerian government denies the problem, refuses to act, and in doing so, becomes part of the problem.
This is where leadership matters. President Trump has made it clear: the United States will not stand by while innocent people are murdered for their faith. He called for congressional action, potential sanctions, and a firm diplomatic response. This is not just about foreign policy—it’s about standing up for human life and religious liberty, which are core American values.
In contrast, Governor Newsom’s climate deal with Nigeria sends the wrong message. It tells the world that California is more interested in green technology than in human rights. It tells the persecuted Christians of Nigeria that their lives are less important than carbon credits and electric buses. That is not the America our Founders envisioned.
Our Constitution guarantees freedom of religion. That freedom does not end at our borders. When people around the world suffer for practicing their faith, America must be a voice for the voiceless. We cannot remain silent while our so-called leaders shake hands with the very governments that allow this violence to continue.
It’s time for real leadership—leadership that recognizes the difference between virtue signaling and moral action. President Trump has shown that leadership. He has reminded the world that American strength and compassion can go hand in hand. California’s governor may want to play diplomat, but the truth is, without moral clarity, international partnerships mean very little.
The fight for religious freedom is not a political game. It is a test of our national character. And in this test, we must choose truth over convenience, justice over applause, and courage over comfort. Let us stand firm, as our Constitution demands, and defend the rights of the persecuted wherever they may be.
