Donald Trump said he may never forgive some political enemies, even when asked to imagine that forgiveness as the final condition for entering heaven.
The exchange came during Trump’s first post-midterm interview with 60 Minutes correspondent Ross Douthat. The president said he considered himself religious, hoped to reach heaven and did not want to go to hell. Douthat then offered a pointed hypothetical. He asked whether Trump could forgive figures such as former FBI Director James Comey and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi if paradise depended on it. Trump described those opponents as dishonest and harmful to the country. He cited his indictments, two impeachments and what he called the weaponization of government before answering.
The question built on Trump’s remarks at Charlie Kirk’s September 2025 memorial service in Arizona. Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, had spoken about forgiving the man accused of killing her husband. Trump later told the crowd that Charlie Kirk wanted the best for his opponents, while he did not share that view.
That earlier line drew laughter at the memorial and was widely treated as a blunt description of Trump’s political style. More than a year later, Douthat returned to it as a question about faith, judgment and whether the president could separate personal grievance from Christian forgiveness.