'I Don't Want to Go to Hell': Trump Reveals Fears About Afterlife After Surviving Assassination Attempts

US President Donald Trump has said he hopes to reach Heaven but fears going to Hell, discussing his beliefs about the afterlife in an interview recorded after he survived two apparent assassination attempts in 2024. Asked by CBS News correspondent Ross Douthat whether those attacks had changed how he thought about mortality, Trump acknowledged that he had survived multiple attempts on his life. Douthat then asked what Trump believed happened after death.

The exchange was part of an interview for '60 Minutes', recorded at the White House on Friday, 6 November, and broadcast on Sunday, 8 November. Trump also discussed whether he could forgive political opponents if doing so were necessary to enter paradise.

Trump Explains What He Believes Happens After Death

Trump initially replied that he hoped he would be missed. Douthat clarified that he was asking what Trump believed would happen to him personally after death, rather than how he would be remembered.

The president responded: 'I'm a religious person, so in theory I go to heaven.' Asked whether he thought he would get there, Trump said: 'I hope so. I don't want to go to hell.'

Douthat's question followed a discussion about the effect of the assassination attempts on Trump's view of mortality. Trump confirmed that he had survived multiple attempts, but did not elaborate on whether the incidents had changed his religious beliefs or outlook on death.

Trump Asked Whether He Could Forgive His Enemies

The conversation then turned to Christian forgiveness. Douthat referred to the memorial service for conservative activist Charlie Kirk, where Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, spoke about forgiving political opponents.

Trump had spoken after her at the September 2025 service and said he hated his opponents and did not want the best for them. Douthat asked whether he could forgive people such as former FBI director James Comey and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi if forgiveness were necessary to enter paradise.

Trump said he could not give an easy assurance that he would forgive them. He described the two as 'extremely dishonest people' and 'very bad for our country'.

When Douthat asked whether his answer was no, Trump replied: 'The answer is no. I want to be honest, no.' He added: 'I do hate some of my enemies, and I always will.'

Two Assassination Attempts in 2024

Trump survived a shooting at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on 13 July 2024. A gunman fired towards the stage, grazing Trump's ear. One spectator, Corey Comperatore, was killed and two others were injured. The FBI investigated the shooting as an assassination attempt.

A second incident took place on 15 September 2024 at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. A Secret Service agent spotted a rifle barrel in shrubbery near the course and fired towards the suspect, who fled but was later arrested. The FBI investigated the incident as an apparent assassination attempt, and federal prosecutors later charged suspect Ryan Wesley Routh with attempting to assassinate Trump. Trump was not injured.

The interview also covered the 2026 midterm elections, the economy, immigration and foreign policy, but the exchange about Heaven, Hell and forgiveness became one of its most widely discussed moments.