Trump: “If you have to forgive your enemies to go to heaven, my answer is ‘no.’”

In a CBS talk show, he referred to his political opponents and said, "These are very toxic people... I hate them."

(Washington = Yonhap News) Correspondent Hong Jeong-gyu = U.S. President Donald Trump is attracting attention by saying that he would ‘rather give up going to heaven than forgive my enemies.’

On the 9th (local time), US media highlighted the fact that President Trump, a Christian, answered a question about his afterlife in this way in an interview with the CBS current affairs program '60 Minutes' the previous day.

“I am a believer, so theoretically I will go to heaven,” Trump said. “I hope to go to heaven. I don’t want to go to hell.”

The host continued his questions by citing the example of the late Charlie Kirk's wife, Erica. Conservative youth activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed by assassin Tyler Robinson during a speech in September last year. Erica tearfully said at her husband's memorial service that she "forgives" Robinson.

When asked, "What would you do if you had to forgive people you hate, such as James Comey and Nancy Pelosi, to get into heaven?" President Trump responded, "The answer is no. I want to be honest."

“I have come to realize that these are extremely dishonest people, very bad people, very harmful people to our country,” Trump said. “I love my country more than I can love those people.”

He continued, "I hate (them). You can use the word hate. I actually hate some of my enemies. I think they were terrible. Look what they put me through. They weaponized the institutions of power and I was indicted and impeached."

At the Charlie Kirk memorial service last year, President Trump said, "I hate my enemies, and I don't wish them well," and "I cannot tolerate my enemies."

President Trump, now 80 years old, often mentioned his afterlife. Last year, he mentioned efforts to end the war in Ukraine and said, "I want to work hard and go to heaven if possible." When asked if he thought his chances of going to heaven had increased with the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, he answered, "I don't think I will ever go to heaven."