'I Do Hate Some of My Enemies!': Trump Says He May Not Forgive Political Foes, Even for Eternal Paradise

US President Donald Trump said he would probably be unable to forgive some of his political enemies, even if forgiveness were the only condition for entering paradise, declaring, 'I do hate some of my enemies.'

The admission came during an interview with Ross Douthat on CBS's 60 Minutes. Douthat asked whether Trump could forgive his political opponents if doing so were his only path to heaven.

Trump Discusses Faith and Forgiveness in Interview

Asked what he believes happens after death, Trump replied, 'I'm a religious person, so in theory, I go to heaven.' Douthat then posed a hypothetical scenario involving Trump's political opponents: 'Let's say you pass away, you're entering the next life, and all you have to do to enter paradise is feel love and forgiveness for James Comey, Nancy Pelosi, anyone who you have expressed hate for over the years. Do you think you can do it?'

'Well, then I wouldn't be real, would I?' Trump responded, describing his opponents as 'extremely dishonest people, very bad people, very bad for our country.'

When Douthat pressed him for a direct answer, Trump said he would not forgive them. 'The answer is no. I want to be honest, no,' the president said.

Trump Says He May Never Forgive Some Political Enemies

Douthat pressed Trump on his reluctance to forgive, pointing to his extraordinary political career and personal fortunes. 'Mr. President, you have had the most charmed and remarkable life of any American in my entire lifetime, and you are telling me that before the judgment throne of God, you couldn't find it in your heart to forgive some of your enemies? After all that's been given to you?'

'Can I be honest?' Trump replied. 'I probably cannot do that, no, because I do hate some of my enemies, and I always will.' His comments echoed his repeated public expressions of hostility towards political opponents.

Separately, Trump has faced serious threats to his own safety. In July 2024, he survived an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a bullet grazed his right ear and a spectator was killed. The shooting became one of the defining moments of his 2024 presidential campaign.

Legal Cases Involving Prominent Trump Critics

Several prominent Trump critics have faced federal investigations or criminal proceedings during his second administration, including former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and former national security adviser John Bolton.

Comey, who oversaw the FBI's investigation into possible ties between Trump's campaign and Russia during the president's first term, was indicted in September 2025 and again in April 2026. The first case was dismissed, while the second, involving allegations that an Instagram post threatened Trump, remains pending. Last month, the Justice Department moved towards a possible third indictment of Comey over allegations of leaking classified information.

Meanwhile, James, whose office brought a civil fraud case against the Trump Organization, was indicted in October 2025 on bank fraud and false-statement charges. Bolton, a long-time advocate of a hardline approach to Iran who served in Trump's first administration, is the only one of the three prominent Trump critics to have pleaded guilty. He admitted in June to unlawfully retaining classified national defence information and is awaiting sentencing.