Donald Trump has once again stirred concern about his health, and his state of mind, after musing about death, God, and getting into heaven during an exchange at the White House.
The president, now 79, appeared to wrestle with his own mortality while fielding questions from reporters about faith and a new presidential prayer initiative tied to America’s upcoming 250th anniversary. Trump declared there’s “no reason to be good” without religion. He added that he wants to prove to God that he deserves “the next step.”
During the Oval Office event, where he also said he’d “take a look” at pardoning convicted s– t——— Ghislaine Maxwell — Trump was asked why prayer and faith matter to him.
He replied, “We’re dealing – as you know – with all of the different – and not just evangelicals, Christians. We’re dealing with lots of different faiths, religions. And I felt for a long time that if a country doesn’t have religion, doesn’t have faith, doesn’t have God, it’s gonna be very hard to be a good country.”
Then came the line that sent social media into overdrive. “You know, there’s no reason to be good. I want to be good because you want to prove to God so you go to that next step, right? So that’s very important to me.” Within hours, X (formerly Twitter) was flooded with speculation that Trump’s talk of “the next step” hinted at something darker. “In our house, when an older person who has not previously been religious starts talking this way, attending church regularly, etc., we call it ‘cramming for the final exam,’” one user wrote.
Another commented, “I think he knows he’s exiting stage right soon.” A third comment read, “He knows he’s dying and thinks he can make up for a life of evil by mentioning God a few times.”
Others were blunter: “He must be at death’s door. He never used to say s— like this.” Another joked, “Trump wants to go to that next step – Heaven – but then he says he hates his enemies. He’s going to need a needle with a huge eye and a tiny camel. God isn’t MAGA.”
Critics were merciless. “Whatever is under hell dude that’s your next step,” one wrote. “His escalator is getting stuck on the way up,” another mocked, recalling Trump’s famous 2015 escalator entrance. A third added: “Oh sweetie, you’re never getting there. Your escalator only goes down.” One commenter summed it up: “If you get to heaven, and you find Trump there, you have gone to hell, that’s not heaven.”
This isn’t the first time Trump has hinted that he’s worried about his spiritual fate. Just months ago, he told Fox & Friends he feared his chances of reaching heaven were slim, admitting, “I want to try to get to heaven if possible, I’m hearing that I’m not doing well.”
At the time, he suggested that brokering peace between Russia and Ukraine might improve his odds. “I am really at the bottom of the totem pole,” he said. “But if I can get to heaven, this will be one of the reasons.”
Between his cryptic comments and newfound focus on faith, even Trump’s most loyal supporters are beginning to wonder: is the president coming to terms with his own mortality?
Not by works should any man boast :Ephesians 2:8-9