President Donald Trump on Sunday shared more thoughts about his afterlife when on the way to celebrate the US-brokered ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas. Trump was asked whether this deal would ‘help’ him get to heaven.
The President replied “I don’t think there’s anything that’s going to get me into heaven. I think I’m not heaven bound.” The audio of the interaction was initially shared by the White House, and the specific excerpt has been snipped and circulated widely on X.
Notably, Trump had first brought up the topic of him going to heaven when speaking about a possible peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. “I want to try and get to heaven if possible,” Trump had said on Fox News, adding “I hear I'm not doing well -- I hear I'm really at the bottom of the totem pole! But if I can get to heaven this will be one of the reasons.”
{{/usCountry}}Notably, Trump had first brought up the topic of him going to heaven when speaking about a possible peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. “I want to try and get to heaven if possible,” Trump had said on Fox News, adding “I hear I'm not doing well -- I hear I'm really at the bottom of the totem pole! But if I can get to heaven this will be one of the reasons.”
{{/usCountry}}Trump's Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that she believed "the president was serious" about his Ukraine comments. "I think the president wants to get to heaven, as I hope we all do in this room," the 27-year-old had told reporters.
Also Read | Melania Trump's shocking admission on relationship dynamics with Donald, 'It's over'
While Trump was pushing for a Ukraine peace deal at the time, he recently told reporters that he was mulling arming Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles that would allow strikes deeper into Russia. However, Trump indicated he wished to speak to Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin about it first, in a bid to stop the war.
What to know about the Israel-Hamas deal
The first phase of the ceasefire agreement calls for the release of the final 48 hostages held by Hamas, including about 20 believed to be alive; the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel; a surge of humanitarian aid to Gaza; and a partial pullback by Israeli forces from Gaza’s main cities.
Trump told reporters traveling with him “The war is over, OK?”, and added, “I think people are tired of it.”
Israeli troops on Friday finished withdrawing from parts of Gaza, triggering a 72-hour countdown under the deal for Hamas to release the Israeli hostages, potentially while Trump is on the ground there. He said he expected their return to be completed on Monday or Tuesday.
Trump will visit Israel first to meet with hostage families and address the Knesset, or parliament, an honor last extended to President George W. Bush during a visit in 2008. He then stops in Egypt, where he and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi will lead a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh with leaders from more than 20 countries on peace in Gaza and the broader Middle East.
(With agency inputs)