The Trump Administration’s “America First” doctrine prioritizes transactional relationships and reduced engagement abroad (theoretically), which has resulted in consequential shifts in many places, and in a profound way with regard to U.S.–Africa relations.
Actions to date have included: imposing expanded travel bans on several African countries; an unprecedented recall of U.S. ambassadors across the continent; substantial reductions in lifesaving foreign assistance; and the President verbally and crudely denigrating African nations.
Since Trump’s coming back into office, there have been selective military actions in Somalia, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, and Iran. In these cases, the threats to U.S. national security are more direct and widely recognized, and some are continuations of policies in prior Administrations. The latest strike in Nigeria is significantly different.
U.S. Military Strike on Nigerian Islamic State Militants
On December 25, 2025, the U.S. Africa Command confirmed that it had carried out strikes in coordination with Nigerian authorities targeting ISIS camps in Sokoto State. ISIS-West Africa Province (ISWAP) and other militant groups in Nigeria, however, have not demonstrated the capability or intent to attack the United States directly. Thus, unlike other U.S. military operations in Africa and elsewhere, the Nigerian strike has tenuous, if any, links to American national security.
In contrast, the Yemeni strikes have been justified based on the presence of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), a group that has attempted attacks on the U.S. homeland. Further, Iran’s support for the Houthis’ active attack on ships in the critical maritime chokepoint of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait is tied to ongoing U.S.-Iran tensions and the need to protect American commercial vessels.
That the Nigerian strike is different is best described by Trump’s own words:
“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries! I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was. The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing. Under my leadership, our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper. May God Bless our Military, and MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues.”
Trump’s reasons do not fully reflect the actual situation on the ground. In fact, Christians are not alone in being affected by deadly religious violence in Nigeria. An attack on a mosque in August killed at least 50 people; and, as Nigerian politician and human rights activist Shehu Sani put it, “The narrative that the evil terrorists only target one faith remains absolutely false and misleading.”
Nigerian society’s, politicians’, and religious leaders’ reactions to the strike are mixed, but in any case, the effect will be to increase U.S./individual American visibility and heightened attitudes.
Recall of U.S. Ambassadors From African Countries
In late 2025, the Trump Administration initiated a sweeping recall of nearly 30 U.S. ambassadors worldwide, almost all of whom were career government officials, with Africa bearing the brunt of the action. According to reporting from Firstpost Africa, ambassadors were removed from 13 African nations — including Nigeria, Somalia, and Uganda — as part of a broader effort to replace Biden-era appointees with individuals aligned with the administration’s “America First” agenda.
Additional reporting from The African Mirror indicates that 15 African ambassadors were recalled, representing the largest single-continent diplomatic withdrawal in modern U.S. history.
The administration’s stated justification was the need for ambassadors who would “advance the America First” agenda. It represents a significant departure from traditional diplomatic practice, which valued continuity, expertise, and nonpartisan professionalism. The administration sees these recalls as serving its political and strategic purposes, namely: ensuring that U.S. missions are led by individuals loyal to the administration’s worldview; reducing the autonomy of career diplomats who might resist abrupt policy shifts; signaling to African governments that U.S. engagement will be contingent on alignment with American priorities.
This massive recall of ambassadors on short notice has far-reaching consequences, leaving many embassies without Senate-confirmed ambassadors and likely weakening U.S. influence at a time of rising Chinese and Russian engagement. Furthermore, many of those career diplomats had deep country- and regional-level expertise; their departure disrupts ongoing in-country contacts and initiatives, with the likely result being a loss of sources of key intelligence on individual countries and the Continent.
U.S. Foreign Assistance Reductions
American foreign aid to Africa has a long history of being a critical factor in addressing poverty, improving health and reducing malnutrition, providing other forms of humanitarian assistance, and supporting economic development. The Trump Administration has not only made deep cuts to foreign assistance, but has also closed down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which since 1961 has channeled tens of billions in aid to Sub-Saharan Africa (some $12.7 billion in 2024 alone).
Programs such as the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and USAID’s maternal and child health initiatives dramatically expanded access to life‑saving treatments. These programs were widely regarded as among the most successful U.S. foreign policy initiatives of the 21st century.
The new reality is that African countries can no longer rely on U.S. government assistance, creating opportunities for other global actors, such as China, to fill the gaps left by the U.S. withdrawal. (Such breaks in continuity are often themselves damaging.)
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“America First” Framework
The Trump Administration’s Africa policy has been shaped by its perception of core “America First” principles. Among them is the view that any engagement should be contingent on perceived benefits to the U.S. This, coupled with intense skepticism regarding multilateralism of any sort, results in reduced participation in global initiatives that deeply affect Africa, such as those described above.
Ironically, at the same time, the Trump Administration’s travel bans explicitly and implicitly acknowledge that terrorist threats against U.S. interests can originate in the Continent and that the U.S. and China are competing to own or control huge supplies of critical resources in Africa.
What is the Impact Going Forward?
The Trump Administration’s policies toward Africa reflect a profound reorientation of U.S. engagement. The mass recall of ambassadors disrupted diplomatic relationships and undermined U.S. influence at a critical time. Reductions in foreign assistance have signaled a retreat from beneficial, long-standing commitments that had saved millions of lives and earned the United States goodwill. The latest military strike in Nigeria — while tactically successful — highlights the administration’s selective and potentially flawed reason for the attack (seeking to protect only Christians).
The upshot is that, as global competition intensifies with China and Africa’s growing geopolitical and mineral importance, it is difficult to see how these policies and their long-term geopolitical consequences will benefit the United States in the future.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by the authors are their own, not those of Impakter.com — In the Cover Photo US President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at Naval Station Norfolk Chambers Field in Norfolk, Virginia, Oct. 5, 2025. Cover Photo Credit: White House / Daniel Torok.
