Trump's Afterlife Rant On Fox News Has Everyone Saying The Same Dark Thing

What's going on with Donald Trump? Recently, the president sparked fresh concerns about his health following a "Fox & Friends" interview in which he became pensive while discussing the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. "I just want to end it," Trump said via phone on Tuesday, August 19. "If I can save 7,000 people a week from getting killed, that's pretty good." He then mused about the afterlife, saying that saving that many lives might just increase his chance of going to heaven. "I'm hearing [that] I'm not doing well. I hear I'm at the bottom of the totem pole," Trump added. "If I can get to heaven, this will be one of the reasons."

Trump's comments about the afterlife had social media buzzing about his mental and physical health. "Lots to unpack here," one X user said. "But mostly, his health can't be right if this is top of mind for him." Another agreed: "I was thinking the same thing. He's seemed low energy lately so maybe he got some bad news." In July, news of Trump's chronic venous insufficiency diagnosis raised some questions about the state of his well-being. A medical examination revealed that the POTUS has blood circulation issues after experiencing mild swelling in his limbs. Not to worry, though, as doctors said the condition is extremely common among individuals over the age of 70 (Trump turned 79 on June 14) and often poses no serious health risk. They also disputed rumors regarding the president's aging hands by stressing that his hand bruises were caused by "frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin." In summary: "President Trump remains in excellent health," Sean Barbabella, the White House's resident physician, said. 

So why, then, is Trump suddenly talking about his own mortality? 

Long before his latest interview, Donald Trump often spoke with confidence about his chances of reaching the pearly gates whenever the subject of faith or the afterlife was raised. In 2015, ahead of becoming president, for instance, he said he believes in heaven — and in his chances of going there — during a GQ interview reflecting on his life and legacy. "I hope so," said Trump. "That's what I strive for." He also spoke about his faith after the failed assassination attempt against him in July 2024. "I do [believe in heaven]," the politician told Laura Ingraham. "If I'm good, I'm going to heaven. If I'm bad, I'm going to someplace else." 

Early in his public life, however, Trump's views on the afterlife were markedly different. In a 1990 profile for Playboy magazine, the former businessman said he did not believe in the concept of heaven or hell and was not concerned about his own mortality either. He openly embraced his stance on faith and religion, telling his then-wife Marla Maples (via Buzzfeed News), "I don't want to go to that hillbilly church you go to. If I'm going, I want to go to a church where somebody knows me." 

In the wake of his Fox News interview, Trump's press secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the president's concerning remarks during a press briefing later in the day. "I think the president was serious," stressed Leavitt. "I think the president wants to get to heaven — as I hope we all do in this room as well," she added.