Why Are Nigerian Men Obsessed With Trump?

America’s place in the world as a superpower makes her politics quite an intriguing subject. Her decisions cause a ripple effect that could be felt  across the world. Thus, it is no wonder that many have their eyes glued to the upcoming elections. This year’s election has seen the reentry of former president, Donald Trump in the presidential race. Thoughts on him are divided, some think he is the hookworm in America’s belly, others say he is the realization of the second coming of Christ. A survey conducted by Pews Research Center shows that 63% of Nigerians harken to the latter. The only other country with high confidence ratings for Trump is the Philippines,  where 68% of the population believe Trump is the man for the job.

Nigerian men account for a large portion of the positive ratings for Trump. Many of whom have not shied away from declaring their reverence for him on social media. In 2021, Twitter suspended Donald Trump’s account for inciting violence. This elicited protests from many including Nigerian men. They cited a limitation of free speech as the basis for the pushback. After his attempted assassination, they’ve become even more vocal about their fondness. This unwavering support for him begs the question, why are Nigerian men obsessed with Donald Trump? To answer this, I spoke to four Nigerian men who are rooting for him in the coming elections.

Donald Trump caught the eye of many during the 2016 presidential elections including Stanley Okeke. He found Trump’s debates and interviews interesting and was attracted to his outsized personality.  This prompted him to dig into Trump’s business and nonpolitical history which he equally found fascinating. He was also attracted to him because of the “anti-establishment agenda that he kind of represented.” Adamu Lawal became a Trumpist around the same time as Stanley. For him, Trump’s stance on “ending America’s needless wars in the middle east and his America first policy that centered America’s interest above all” was what got him. While most Nigerian men became active followers of Trump in 2016/2017, Peter Onagun, has followed him since his time on WWE and is awed by his business ventures. When Trump entered the political scene, supporting him was a no- brainer. Jude Lawson who believes “the world needs Trump a lot” was a late bloomer. He came into the fold in 2022 and is sure that “Trump is a nationalist. He wants the best for Americans in America. He is less or not expansionist”

While many of these men came for Trump’s “no nonsense” attitude, they stayed for his policies and ideologies. Trump has been very clear on his stance on the key issues. On immigration, he has promised to bring back the “seal the border” policies. His stance has been praised by the men with Peter Onagun agreeing that “Americans should be the centerpiece of America.” Jude is also of the same belief, he reckons that an America that has no care for other countries but itself is good for the world. Some of Trump’s policies have been met with controversies from the public, especially the policies on trans and reproductive rights.

The Republican Party, known for its conservatism, has long sought to challenge Roe v. Wade,  the landmark 1973 ruling that guaranteed a woman’s right to abortion in the U.S. In 2022, their decades-long effort to overturn this ruling finally succeeded, not through a bill but via a Supreme Court decision. This was made possible largely due to the ideological shift Trump engineered during his presidency. Trump’s appointment of three conservative justices; Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett cemented a solid conservative majority on the court, which ultimately led to the fall of Roe v. Wade. In doing so, the Republican Party and Trump broke historical precedent, dismantling nearly 50 years of established reproductive rights.

Trump openly celebrated this moment as one of his key achievements, stating, “After 50 years of failure, I was able to kill Roe v. Wade.” His supporters, like Adamu, acknowledge that while Trump’s rhetoric can be brash, they share his opposition to what they see as the dangers of “woke culture.” Trump’s determination to uphold traditional conservative values, even in the face of significant public backlash, has endeared him to many within his base.

Stanley, Jude, and Peter are ardent supporters of Trump’s opposition to abortion, citing their strong religious beliefs. Like many others who align with the Republican Party’s conservative platform, their lives are guided by biblical principles, and deviating from these values is not an option. According to Peter, abortion rights should not become part of America’s social norms, which shows how their lives and decisions are governed by the laws of the bible, living outside the margins of it is a big no. It also informs their stance on issues like abortion and even gender identity. “I support his idea about gender. There is only a man and a woman, nothing else matters,” Peter Onagun tells me.

This intersection of politics and religion in the U.S. mirrors certain dynamics in Nigeria. While Nigeria may not have faced the same legal precedent as the U.S., its abortion laws are among the most restrictive in the world, largely shaped by religious and cultural conservatism. Abortion is illegal in Nigeria except when the mother’s life is at risk, echoing the staunch anti-abortion stance upheld by many religious groups in the U.S., especially within the Republican Party. 

Trump has leaned on Christianity for his campaign. During one of his rallies, he encouraged his supporters “You still need help from the boss” he gestured to the sky and continued “They will criticise me for that. They will say “how dare he say that?” but I will say it. Somebody said to me the other day, “you are the most famous person in the world by far” and I said, no I’m not. He said “Who is more famous?” and I said “Jesus Christ.”  This tactic resonates with the evangelical wing of the Republican Party which is a powerful voting unit. They have continually rallied for Trump regardless of his personal life choices that go against the very morals they champion. In his work, Tim Alberta analyzes this relationship and forms a hypothesis that posits that this unit has formed a marriage of convenience with Trump. Therefore, they turn a blind eye to his contradictory personal choices as long as he delivers on key issues such as placing conservative judges in the supreme court, emphasizing religious freedoms or restricting abortion rights.

Alberta argues that for many evangelicals, Trump is viewed as the blemished vessel who fulfills God’s plan by handing them political victories tied to their religious tenets like the law in Louisiana which directs that a poster of the Ten commandments with “large easily readable font” be pasted in every classroom at state funded schools. Or the law that requires schools in Oklahoma to infuse the bible into the curriculum. 

When asked about their thoughts on this tactic, Peter’s reply sees this as the attitude of a go-getter. “I see a man trying as much as possible to get reelected leveraging on anything he can but still maintaining his stance and ideals.” He also believes that Trump is simply trying to make Christianity a respected religion again. As for Stanley, he doesn’t think it is far fetched because people appeal to the demographic they are popular with. While Jude is content with having a religious president sit in the White house, Adamu is opposed to this tactic and calls it “pandering.”

Trump’s conservatism stands out and for most people including these men, it drew them to him. Maro, a political video essayist also known as Political Baby agrees with the notion, “He is a man. He is also a conservative man so he is seen as the protector of everything traditionally masculine.” She further notes that there is more to it.

In October of 2016, the Washington Post released footage where Trump is seen bragging to Billy Bush about trying to have sex with a married woman. He made the statement “grab them by the pussy” and other obscene remarks about women which exemplifies a specific brand of masculinity marked by aggression, dominance and bravado.  This portrayal is in line with the concept of the “alpha male” who is mostly defined by traits such as assertiveness, confidence and a sense of entitlement, qualities that men within certain social hierarchies desire to emulate.

Maro opines that the event struck excitement in the men. To hear him engage in locker room talk felt like “Trump was their paddie. One of the boys.”  This phenomenon is not restricted to American culture as it reflects a broader thriving mindset as seen in the online communities and alpha male podcasts that celebrates hyper masculinity and normalizes misogyny. Many Nigerian men speak about women in the same manner. Some of the phrases they use to refer to sex with women include “I knack am. I don sample the babe” etc. There is a possibility they want to see themselves in Trump because within this context, Trump could be categorized as the archetype of an alpha male. 

Trump’s sexual improprieties came to light during that election. It however did not stop him from making the white house his abode, reinforcing the idea that power and wealth is the ultimate shield. Maro is convinced this was the Cupid’s arrow that struck the heart of Nigerian men. Rich and powerful men who are able to bend the law to their will are somewhat aspirational to these men especially in a depraved society like Nigeria. 

Recently, Sir Jarus, a Twitter influencer, was involved in a domestic violence case. He chronicled the events that led to the abuse on his Twitter page and in his recount confessed to abusing his wife.  Though convicted, he was able to avoid serious punishment for his crime. On announcing the penalty meted out to him, it wasn’t uncommon for commenters to applaud him. In fact, they seemed energized by the outcome. Before his conviction, few of them had boasted about his untouchability. They found it intriguing and impressive, suggesting that they are obsessed with the notion of being “untouchable”

The fascination that Nigerian men have with Donald Trump is a complex blend of admiration for his “boldness”, alignment with his conservative values, and a sense of connection to his unfiltered, sometimes controversial persona. Trump’s appeal to these men lie not just in his political stances but also in his embodiment of traits they find aspirational—strength, wealth, and the ability to defy the odds.

 Praise Okeoghene Vandeh is a culture journalist and screenwriter with a Bachelors degree in History and International studies. Her work has appeared in Document Women, Marie Claire Nigeria, What Kept Me Up, Moda Culture amongst others.