President Donald Trump’s reported commendation of his Nigerian counterpart, President Bola Tinubu, warmed the hearts of some Nigerians until they saw the tweet posted by Senator Ted Cruz the same day that the kind words from Washington were made public by Abuja.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Wednesday shared details of a July 6, 2026, correspondence from the White House, from which it can be gleaned that Trump was only replying to a letter from Tinubu.

It reads, “Thank you for your thoughtful letter. Your kind words mean a great deal to me, and I appreciate your decisive leadership on behalf of the Nigerian people. I applaud your resolve to tackle the issues plaguing your nation, especially the violence affecting Christian communities, and it is a true honour to stand with you in the fight against terrorists and to make the Federal Republic of Nigeria stronger and more prosperous,” Trump reportedly wrote.

A Facebook user who goes by the name David Nneji wrote, “There's nothing special about this letter which is a reply to previous letter written by our President.

So, there's nothing like special commendation, rather, a mature way to reply a president of a country.

APC can politicise everything, including a reply from another President.” 

Latinwo Oladiran posted this comment, “This is a pure lie if trump say this it will be on Twitter be on Instagram, Facebook everywhere.” And for the user, Phil Smart, "No original official letter released.. no confirmation whatsoever of any such letter from Trump social media or any other United States media."

While we are not in a position to dismiss the disclosure from Aso Villa as propaganda or fake, Trump’s retort differs significantly from what American legislators who aren’t bound by diplomatic speak and niceties have been saying about Abuja. The latest of what some may consider an uncomfortable truth came from Senator Cruz who had proposed the ‘Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025’ in October — a legislation he said would hold Nigerian officials accountable for “facilitating the mass murder of Christians”.

He wrote on X, “Nigerian officials have created an environment that facilitates mass violence against Christians and religious minorities by imposing blasphemy and Sharia laws and looking the other way at jihadist atrocities.

“The U.S. government knows the Nigerian officials responsible for these policies, I have been pushing my bill to sanction them, and President Trump has even ordered military action.

“Instead of responding to American concerns, Nigerian officials waged a public relations campaign against critics. They were confident in that campaign and in their ability to continue the status quo, and I am heartened that the House has just definitively proven them wrong.”

In reference was the amendment bill passed by the US House of Representatives that would increase withholding of assistance to Nigeria from 50 percent to 100 percent until the West African nation takes effective steps to prevent and respond to violence within its territory.

If this is what a more circumspect Cruz could say about the Nigerian government, you can imagine the thoughts of the one who coined the 'shithole countries' concept. Trump further wrote in his laudatory letter, “I am proud to have deployed the United States Special Operations Forces—among the most elite military units anywhere in the world—to equip the brave men and women in the Armed Forces of Nigeria with the skills, tools and intelligence they need to protect your homeland and ensure the safety and security of citizens, particularly those of faith who have been under attack. I look forward to our continued discussions over the course of my Presidency.”

After Trump designated Nigeria as a ‘country of particular concern’ in October 2025, the Federal Government hired a US-based public affairs and lobbying firm, DCI Group in a $9 million contract last December. The House foreign affairs Africa subcommittee chairman, Chris Smith dismissed this measure as a proof that “a culture of denial by Nigerian officials persists”.

Abuja said security ties between both countries had expanded in recent months following the establishment of a Joint Working Group co-chaired by the National Security Advisers of Nigeria and the United States.

The Tinubu Presidency also disclosed that US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Frank Garcia, visited Abuja last week, where he met with senior Nigerian officials and pledged to strengthen bilateral cooperation in security and other strategic sectors.

Against this backdrop, can you actually say there’s mutual understanding or mutual suspicion between Abuja and Washington? This is in view of next year’s presidential election and the enormous influence that the United States is believed to have on the outcome.