President Donald Trump on Sunday called himself a religious person who hopes to get into heaven.
“I hope so,” Trump told Ross Douthat during a “60 Minutes” interview. “I don’t want to go to hell.”
But in practically the next breath, Trump rejected one of the core tenets of Christian faith and seemed to admit he might not make it there.
“Let’s say you pass away, you’re entering the next life, and all you have to do to enter paradise is feel love and forgiveness for James Comey, Nancy Pelosi, anyone who you have expressed hate for over the years,” Douthat said. “Do you think you can do it?”
“Well, then I wouldn’t be real, would I?” Trump replied, calling them “extremely dishonest people, very bad people.”
“Is the answer no, then?” Douthat asked.
“The answer is no,” Trump said.
Douthat reminded the president that in this scenario he was “before the judgment throne of God.” But Trump repeated that they were “very bad people” and that he hates some of his enemies.
Douthat gave him one last shot.
“Mr. President, you have had the most charmed and remarkable life of any American in my entire lifetime, and you are telling me you couldn’t find it in your heart to forgive some of your enemies?” he asked. “After all that’s been given to you?”
“Can I be honest? I probably cannot do that. No,” Trump said. “Because I do hate some of my enemies and I always will.”
Critics on social media were quick to point out that forgiveness is central to the Christian faith, as spelled out multiple times in the Bible ― and many hit back with some reminders: