Trump says he can’t forgive political foes to reach heaven

President Donald Trump acknowledged he may never be able to forgive some of his political enemies, even if doing so were necessary to enter heaven.In an interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes, Trump was asked whether he could set aside his animosity toward political opponents, including former FBI Director James Comey and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), if forgiveness were a condition of entering paradise.“The answer is no. I want to be honest, no,” Trump told interviewer Ross Douthat. “I do hate some of my enemies, and I always will.” The exchange began with a discussion about Trump’s beliefs on death and the afterlife. Asked what he believes happens when he dies, Trump said he considers himself a religious person and hopes to go to heaven.“I’m a religious person, so in theory I go to heaven,” Trump said. “I hope so. I don’t want to go to hell.”Douthat then brought up the memorial service for conservative activist Charlie Kirk, where his widow, Erika Kirk, delivered remarks emphasizing the Christian obligation to forgive one’s enemies. Trump spoke after her at the September service, telling the audience, “I hate my opponents, and I don’t want the best for them.”Douthat asked whether Trump could imagine entering the next life and finding that the only thing standing between him and paradise was his willingness to forgive political adversaries he has repeatedly attacked.“Well, then I wouldn’t be real, would I?” Trump responded, suggesting that claiming he could forgive his opponents would be dishonest.The president described Comey, Pelosi, and other political adversaries as “extremely dishonest people” who had been “very bad for our country.”When Douthat pressed him for a direct answer, Trump did not back away from his position.“I do hate some of my enemies,” Trump said, pointing to the criminal investigations and impeachments he has faced as president. “Look what they put me through, the weaponization. I got indicted. I got impeached.”Douthat challenged the president’s refusal to embrace forgiveness, noting that Trump had enjoyed an extraordinary life and political career despite the personal and political battles he has faced.“You have had the most charmed and remarkable life of any American in my entire lifetime, and you are telling me that before the judgment throne of God you couldn’t find it in your heart to forgive some of your enemies?” Douthat asked. “After all that’s been given to you?”Trump initially suggested that saying he could forgive his opponents would be the easy response, but ultimately maintained that he could not honestly make that commitment.RUBIO DEFENDS TRUMP’S IRAN DECISION: ‘ELECTED TO DO THE HARD THINGS’“Honestly, Ross, can I be honest? I probably cannot do that, no, because I do hate some of my enemies and I always will,” he said.The exchange offered an unusual glimpse into how Trump views his political grudges, even when framed against questions of faith and his own mortality. The president has survived multiple assassination attempts, including a July 2024 shooting at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, that left him wounded.