The Nigerian army needed an excuse. Trump unwittingly gave them one. They literally tweeted it

Taking Trump “seriously but not literally” doesn’t translate across the Atlantic, apparently.

Nigerian soldiers opened fire on approximately 1,000 activists as they marched through the capital of Abuja, killing as many as 40 and wounding more than 100 with their bullets. Normal behavior for a nation that slaughters its citizens, the shooting was alarming for another reason.

After the Monday shooting, the Nigerian Army justified their actions Friday. The protesters weren’t peaceful, they claimed. They were throwing rocks after all and, according to Nigerian brass, President Trump unilaterally rewrote the rules of engagement when he said Thursday that the U.S. military would treat rock-throwing migrants like rifle-firing combatants.

It is an excuse made possible by an unthinking president who, after almost two years, still refuses to accept that his words are tantamount to action.

Trump might have been spouting off Thursday. “Anybody throwing stones, rocks — like they did to Mexico and the Mexican military, Mexican police, where they badly hurt police and soldiers of Mexico — we will consider that a firearm because there’s not much difference,” he said during a press conference. But it is clear there is a difference and it is clear the Nigerians were listening.

No, the president is not responsible for the tragedy that occurred — it occured Monday, before he spoke on Thursday. Blame belongs with the soldiers and the soldiers alone. It isn’t Trump’s fault, but that isn’t enough of a defense. Asked whether he advocated shooting rock-throwing protesters on Friday, the president backtracked, insisting that the U.S. military wouldn’t shoot. They would, he said, “arrest those people quickly and for a long period of time.”

He should have led with that originally, because, albeit unwittingly, he licensed bad behavior by speaking off the cuff. The Nigerians needed an excuse for what looks like a bloody massacre. He gave them one. They literally tweeted it.

Before deleting it from Twitter, the Nigerian government posted the Trump caravan clip. It is a reminder that, whether the White House likes it or not, there are consequences each time Trump opens his mouth. He doesn’t care, of course. The president will always say whatever comes to mind. One time, he casually admitted to firing the head of the FBI over “this Russia thing.” Another time, he praised a congressman for body-slamming a reporter. A lot of thought isn’t involved. A precedent is set either way.

Obviously the president will not change. At the very least though, one wonders whether his advisers could keep him up to date on the facts. Before Trump shot from the hip while discussing U.S. military at the Mexican border, it would’ve been helpful for him to know those soldiers are marching with lethal and nonlethal force in tow.

It is impossible to undo the shooting. Trump can’t go back in time. But if Trump had mentioned, say, nonlethal rubber bullets, at the very least, the Nigerian soldiers would be out of an excuse for their killings.

Related Content