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By Jordan King
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President Donald Trump has said he does not think "there’s anything that's going to get me into heaven.”
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Sunday, he said: "I think I'm not, maybe, heaven-bound. I may be in heaven right now as we fly in Air Force One."
He added: "I'm not sure I'm gonna be able to make heaven. But I've made life better for a lot of people."
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Why It Matters
Trump’s comments about his prospects for the afterlife, although said jokingly, come as he seeks to position his efforts, and achievements, on the world stage—namely the recent ceasefire deal he brokered between Israel and Gaza.
What To Know
Trump made the remarks while answering a question about previous comments he made in August, in which he said that brokering peace between Russia and Ukraine might help him get into heaven.
"I wanna end it. You know, we're not losing American lives... we're losing Russian and Ukrainian mostly soldiers," Trump told Fox News on August 19.
"I wanna try and get to heaven if possible. I'm hearing I'm not doing well. I am really at the bottom of the totem pole,” he said. "But if I can get to heaven, this will be one of the reasons."
On Sunday, on Air Force One, a reporter asked him: "A couple weeks ago, you were going an interview and you talked about how you hoped to end the war in Ukraine because it might help you get into heaven - how does this (the ceasefire deal) help? Does this help?"
Trump smiled and answered "I mean, I'm being a little cute" before going on to say he does not thing there is anything that will get him into heaven.
Trump's diplomacy has delivered this huge and potentially pivotal moment for the Middle East, laying the foundations of a path that could lead to a solution to a decades-long conflict between Israel and its Arab neighbors over the Palestinian issue.
Hamas has now released all of the living hostages under the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement with Israel, but implementation of Trump's 20-point plan for Gaza is in its early stages.
What People Are Saying
MAGA supporter and mother Ellie A (@EllieGAnders) commented on the video of Trump's Air Force One comments: "Someone give that man the gospel. None of us would make it to heaven without Christ. But yes, it's a good day."
Christian MAGA supporter Kevin M. Nelson (@KevinMNelsonUSA) said: "If he doesn’t know, he needs to know- It’s not up to him to 'do' anything except confess with his mouth and believe in his heart. That’s the simplicity of the Gospel message: It’s not on us to work our way there."
Several people suggested Trump would not make it to heaven, often referencing the Jeffrey Epstein case, including an account called Quadcarl (@quadcarl_carl), who says in his bio he is a "quadriplegic dude who can’t stand Trump."
He shared a photo of Trump and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein with the caption: "I bet he was thinking about this as he said that."
When White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked whether Trump was joking about his August comments on getting into heaven, she said: “I think the president was serious. I think the president wants to get to heaven—as I hope we all do in this room as well.”
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What Happens Next
Trump’s comments on heaven coincide with ongoing global negotiations and high-stakes diplomacy, such as the recently brokered Gaza ceasefire and his persistent advocacy for a resolution to the Russia-Ukraine war.
Whether his ambitions to tie spiritual fulfillment with political achievement sway public discourse remains to be seen.
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