President Donald Trump has to answer to one of his close evangelical allies following his recent remarks on personal forgiveness. During his recent appearance on 60 Minutes, Trump was honest about finding it difficult to forgive those he considers his enemies.
Ross Douthat first asked Trump where he believes he’ll go after he dies. “Well, I’m a religious person, so in theory I go to heaven,” Trump replied. “I hope so. I don’t want to go to hell.”
Things got murkier when asked if he can extend grace and forgive his political enemies, such as FBI Director James Comey and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. “Well, then I wouldn’t be real, would I? I mean, if I said to you, sure, the easy answer to that is ‘Oh, yes, I could forgive,’” Trump told Douthat. “The answer is no. I want to be honest, no.”
When asked whether he’d change his stance if God requires it, Trump doubled down on his unwillingness to forgive. “Before the judgment, no,” he said. “I do hate some of my enemies…I probably cannot do that, no, because I do hate some of my enemies and I always will,” he said firmly.
The answer did not fare well with many. One of his close allies, evangelical pastor Franklin Graham, explained the importance of the question posed to Trump, but did not directly address Trump’s response in a post to X. “Heaven has borders. Heaven has unique and very strict entrance requirements. To enter Heaven, the Bible tells us that you must acknowledge your sins, turn from them in repentance, and receive Jesus Christ by faith,” he wrote. “Religion can’t save you — only a relationship with the Savior, Jesus Christ, can save you,” Graham continued. “Do you have that assurance?”
Graham’s post, while he doesn’t take a stance on what Trump said directly, is telling. He and Trump share a close, long-standing alliance. Graham serves as Trump’s spiritual adviser and has also defended him publicly through some of Trump’s political controversies. Trump shared an AI-generated image on Truth Social that critics argued portrayed him in a Jesus-like manner. Graham, however, did not see it that way. He defended Trump in a post to X, saying that he did not believe Trump knowingly depicted himself as Jesus.
“I do not believe President Trump would knowingly depict himself as Jesus Christ—that would certainly be inappropriate. I’m thankful the President has made it very clear that this was not at all what he thought the AI-generated image was representing—he thought it was a doctor helping someone, and when he learned of the concerns, he immediately removed the post,” Graham wrote in part.