President Donald Trump joked on Sunday that he isn’t “sure I’m gonna be able to make heaven,” even after playing a key role in brokering the Israel-Hamas hostage deal, while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One.
The quip came after Fox News reporter Peter Doocy asked if Trump believed the peace agreement might earn him entry to heaven. Trump responded with characteristic humor, saying he wasn’t counting on it.
“I’m being a little cute — I don’t think there’s anything going to get me in heaven, okay? I really don’t,” Trump said. “I think I’m not maybe heaven-bound. I may be in heaven right now as we fly in Air Force One. I’m not sure I’m gonna be able to make heaven, but I’ve made life a lot better for a lot of people.”
Doocy’s question came about two months after Trump had previously said he hoped ending the Russia-Ukraine war would improve his chances of entering the pearly gates. On Sunday, Trump added that if the 2020 election “had not been rigged,” he could have prevented the war entirely, potentially saving millions of Russian and Ukrainian lives.
Trump made the comments as he traveled to Israel ahead of the expected release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas on Monday. Out of the remaining 48 hostages, 20 are believed to be alive.
The trip comes a little over two years after Hamas militants crossed from Gaza, killing 1,200 people and taking hundreds of hostages.
While speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump also declared that “the war is over” between Israel and Hamas, despite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not having made such a statement. He added that it is a “very special time” where Israel and Muslim countries are simultaneously celebrating — an occurrence he claimed had “never happened before.”
