‘I Think I Should Make It’: Trump Says He’s Heaven-Bound, Mocks Media For Missing Joke

Last Updated:February 05, 2026, 21:38 IST

Trump tells Prayer Breakfast audience he was "just having fun" with earlier comments on him "going to heaven".

US President Donald Trump has mocked the media for, as he put it, failing to grasp his “sense of humor" after his recent comments about heaven and his faith drew wide attention.

Speaking at the annual Prayer Breakfast in Washington on Thursday, Trump joked about whether he would ever qualify for heaven and took a swipe at The New York Times for taking his earlier remarks seriously.

“The people who are reading the words are much different. But I said, I’m never going to make it to heaven. I just don’t think I qualify. I don’t think there’s a thing I can do," Trump told the gathering.

“But all of these good things I’m doing, including for religion – you know, religion’s back now hotter than ever before. I mean, I have to tell you. But I said, even though I did that and so many other things, I named things, I said, I won’t qualify. I’m not going to make it to heaven," he added.

Trump then referred to a front-page New York Times story that interpreted his earlier comments as a serious reflection on his mortality.

“The New York Times did a front-page story that Donald Trump is questioning his life and the meaning of his life," he said. “No, I was just having fun. I really think I probably should make it. I mean, I’m not a perfect candidate, but I did a hell of a lot of good for perfect people."

The Prayer Breakfast is an annual event held in Washington that brings together political leaders, religious figures and invited guests from around the world. Traditionally attended by US Presidents, the gathering focuses on faith, service and public life, often featuring speeches with religious and moral themes.

Trump’s latest remarks follow a series of similar comments in recent months in which he has joked about heaven while discussing his political agenda.

On October 15, in a video posted to YouTube by the White House, Trump was asked by Fox News reporter Peter Doocy about an earlier statement in which he suggested that ending the war in Ukraine might help his chances of getting into heaven.

“I’m being a little cute. I don’t think there’s anything that’s going to get me into heaven. I think I’m not maybe heaven-bound," Trump said at the time.

“I may be in heaven right now as we fly on Air Force One. I’m not sure I’m going to be able to make heaven, but I’ve made life a lot better for a lot of people," he added.

Those remarks prompted The New York Times to publish a November 1 feature headlined “Trump’s Search for Eternity: Heaven? Maybe Not, He Says. Monuments? Absolutely," which examined Trump’s reflections on legacy and faith in its White House Memos section.

Trump had earlier touched on the same theme during an interview with Fox & Friends on August 19, when he linked his efforts to end the Ukraine war with his spiritual prospects.

“I want to try and get to heaven, if possible," he said during that appearance. “I’m hearing I’m not doing well. I am really at the bottom of the totem pole. But if I can get to heaven, this will be one of the reasons."

News world ‘I Think I Should Make It’: Trump Says He’s Heaven-Bound, Mocks Media For Missing Joke

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