Abstract

This study investigates media framing and public perception of President Donald Trump’s statement on Nigeria, particularly in relation to the “Country of Particular Concern” designation. The research adopts a qualitative methodological approach, drawing primarily on content analysis of selected international and Nigerian media reports, official policy documents, and scholarly literature on media framing, public perception, and international political communication. Media texts were purposively selected to reflect diverse geopolitical perspectives and subjected to thematic analysis to identify dominant frames across economic, investment, religious, tourism, and sovereignty dimensions. In addition, the study employs interpretive analysis to examine how these media frames intersect with public perception as reflected in elite commentary, public discourse, and existing empirical studies. Framing theory and public perception theory provide the analytical framework, enabling systematic examination of how political rhetoric is constructed, circulated, and interpreted. The methodological emphasis on contextual and comparative analysis allows for deeper understanding of how global political statements are domesticated within national media systems. The findings reveal that media framing significantly influenced public interpretation of Trump’s statement, amplifying its symbolic and reputational effects beyond formal policy implications. The study concludes that responsible media practices and context-sensitive political communication are essential for sustaining constructive international relations