“I’m Not Sure I’ll Make Heaven,” Says Trump

Aboard Air Force One, U.S. President Donald Trump reflected on his afterlife prospects while discussing his recent diplomatic success in the Middle East.

Trump has received international praise for helping end the two-year war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, a conflict that claimed thousands of lives. The peace deal has led to the release of hostages from both sides, reuniting families separated by violence. The ceasefire marks a significant step toward fulfilling Trump’s long-standing promise to end global wars.

However, while the Middle East conflict has cooled, the war between Russia and Ukraine continues. Trump has repeatedly said that ending the fighting in Ukraine was one of his key moral and political goals. In August, he quipped that such an achievement might help him “get to heaven.”

“I want to try to get to heaven, if possible,” Trump said at the time. “I’m hearing I’m not doing well. I am really at the bottom of the totem pole. But if I can get to heaven, this will be one of the reasons,” he added, referring to his mediation efforts.

On Monday, as he traveled to Israel ahead of the first Israeli hostage handover, Trump appeared less confident about his eternal fate. When reminded of his earlier remarks, he laughed and replied, “I’m being a little cute, I don’t think there’s anything going to get me in heaven. I think I’m maybe not heaven-bound. I may be in heaven right now as we fly in Air Force One. I’m not sure I’m going to be able to make heaven, but I’ve made life a lot better for a lot of people.”

Trump also reiterated his belief that he could have prevented Russia’s invasion of Ukraine if the 2020 election had not been, in his words, “rigged.” “I knew Putin very well, I was the apple of his eye,” he said. “All the things that I’ve said never would have happened.”

The president recently met Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska for their first face-to-face discussion since the 2018 Helsinki summit. Despite hopes for progress, the meeting ended without a deal, leaving prospects for peace uncertain.