Do we detect what has to be the first recorded words of honest introspection by Donald Trump? It is hard not to see it any other way. This morning, Donald Trump told Fox News that he is indeed worried about getting into heaven and, moreover, that he seems aware of the fact that he hasn’t lived the type of life that would get him there, noting that he’s starting at the bottom. To be sure, his motivation remains his own fortunes and not that of the many people dying on the frontlines, but that awareness that he’s got a lot of stuff to overcome is interesting.
This morning, Trump appeared on Fox and Friends and laid out his thinking as chronicled by Mediaite:
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: But, you know, it takes, in this case, two to tango. They have to have somewhat of a relationship. Otherwise, we’re just wasting a lot of time. I don’t want to be doing that for —.
I just want to end it. I want to end it, you know, we’re not losing American lives, we are not losing American soldiers. We are losing Russian and Ukrainian, mostly soldiers, some people as missiles hit wrong spots or get lobbed into cities like Kiev and towns.
But, you know, if I can save 7,000 people a week from being killed… I think that’s a pretty– I want to try and get to heaven if possible, I’m hearing I’m not doing well. I hear I’m really at the bottom of the totem pole.
But if can get to Heaven, this will be one of the reasons.
Well, I think I saved a lot of lives with India, Pakistan. They were going at it. There were– the planes were being shot down. That was going to be maybe a nuclear war if I let that go.
There is a ton to unpack there. To date, Trump has expressed at least two things as motivating his sudden urgency to end the Russian Ukrainian war: His nauseating obsession with the Nobel Peace Prize (Which many think he might actually get if he can end this war with Europe satisfied with the terms), and now the desire to save lives, albeit based on the fact that he is concerned about his own afterlife. (One can rest assured that he also wants Epstein off the screens.)
We could mock his motivation all day long. And we do. It is more worthwhile to focus on the wholly unexpected admission that he is “on the bottom” when it comes to lining up for heaven. Set aside any religious foundations and just note that it’s normal for people to consider a bird’s-eye view of one’s own life, especially as we get older, and try to sum up its worth, whether one believes in the afterlife or not. Evidently, Trump is coming to grips with the fact that his debauched past represents an everlasting threat. That is somewhat astonishing.
Admit that it would be far less surprising if he had said something like wanting to be first in the door to heaven, that he is already leading the pack, but wants to put some distance between himself and the others. That would be standard. And yet, here, he is flatly admitting, with no pressure, that he has a lot of ground to make up. (If there is any justice at all, it is far too much ground, and he may as well give up. You don’t get to spend a lifetime raping women and girls and then politic for a Nobel Prize and slide the card through.)
All of this brings up the inevitable question. Is he really starting to consider the damage he has done throughout his life, possibly having it even come to the surface, and now wants to set a new paradigm or meme? Does he want to be known as “the peace president” to not only get the damned Nobel but also to offset too much truth coming out about his past? It kind of looks like it. Otherwise, you have to believe that he simply woke up this morning and decided he had a lot of work to do in this life to ensure anything in the next. That’s a poor bet, having watched him closely for 10 years. More like he continues to position himself as bobbing from scandal to scandal and sees the need to at least throw out some nod toward humility – that he has not been the greatest guy.
In a way, it is almost shocking. This is the man who gave himself a “ten out of ten” for his meeting with Putin and an “A+” for his first term, but now he’s admitting that he’s on the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to living a decent moral life? Without saying it is good, bad, or indifferent, it is shocking.
Surprising though it is, bet that he sees a buck in the admission somewhere. God makes a living seeing through guys like this. I have a reference:
“If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Mathew 19:21
Oh, snap. It appears we will be waiting a long time to see just how badly he wants this. He probably hung up the phone and ordered more gold for the Oval Office, oblivious.
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I keep thinking of the suffering and harm he has caused and is causing with his policies. The vulnerable are being harmed by his ending USAID, decimating Medicaid and Medicare and it all seems to be for personal gain. I suppose it may be asking too much for him to realize this aspect.
he’s a showman and the devil. make no mistakes he does not give a rats fuck about anything but raping society. what’s wrong with you?
Nothing about this post. For the first time in my lifetime I heard him put himself at the bottom. I find it interesting. Not for one moment did I say it was good, that it will make a difference, that it wasn’t self-motivated, nothing. I already put in that he’s done nothing but rape women. Not sure what you’re getting at. But up to you.
jason
Donald Trump doesn’t believe in heaven any more than I do. (For those who don’t know I’ve been agnostic for decades) IMHO he’s trying to shore up support from “Christians” in a get RWNJ Prosperity Gospel/Dominionist assholes to preach to their flocks the need to ‘pray for Trump.’ It’s a cynical, sick and twisted thing for Trump to do but ‘Trump’s gonna Trump.’
Like you I find this startling. Suggesting not just someone but a whole bunch of people are better than him at something or more worthy. How much trouble does Trump think he’s in to try such a tactic? Remember an interview he did where the subject of faith came up and the concept of repentance for one’s sins was raised? He was directly asked to name something for which he’d asked forgiveness. Trump sat there a few seconds and said he couldn’t think of anything he needed to be forgiven for!
THAT is Trump.
This whole thing makes me flash back to ugly memories of my P.O.S. Klan grandfather who used his badge to do, or help others do horrible things. There were multiple instances I recall of him almost dying from one thing or another but somehow he’d miraculously pull through. The joke was “The Lord doesn’t want him and the Devil won’t have him.” But no one who doesn’t at least fervently profess to be a Christian (Protestant of course) could be in the Klan. The thing is he did actually believe in God. And Heaven and Hell and every time he was on death’s doorstep he was terrified because he KNEW he was headed to hell when he died!
My point is that he truly believed in God and Jesus and even thinking back on what he’d done believed despite the teachings of Jesus he was justified to have been such an awful racist who took part in or provided police cover for unspeakable brutalities because in his mind anyone who wasn’t W.A.S.P. (White, Anglo-Saxon Protestant) wasn’t really a human being.
Trump is the same way, except as I said he doesn’t believe in God or Heaven and Hell. But he knows how to manipulate people and this is an attempt to manipulate the Evangelical Leaders into whipping up support for him in that part of his base
Hmmm…let’s just see…the whole idea of repentance is repeated throughout the Bible. Jesus usually told the folks he healed to go and SIN NO MORE. I don’t see or hear that Trump is remorseful, or that true compassion is known by him. As usual, he’s making a deal. The only problem is, he’s already made a deal with the father of all lies. Jesus also pointed out you can’t serve two masters. Hey baby huey…Some people say they heard God say: YOU’RE FIRED!!!
Oh…and they had tears in their eyes.
quote “I heard I’m really at the bottom of the totem pole.” that’s not self realization it’s just something he heard, maybe it’s correct maybe not.
he’s also going to have to stop making unsupported claims. India and Pakistan have both said he had nothing to do with ending the conflict.
Really Bob…who exactly is going to stop this serial liar from lying? The voters? LOLOLOLOL.We are an ignorant, amoral nation of consumers led around by the billionaires. Ain’t gonna happen.
Dante and I would agree in putting him “at the bottom” – not of the totem pole, but of the nine circles of hell – with the other traitors (All Dante could think of were Brutus, Cassius, and Judas – but there are oh, so many more now. Benedict Arnold. Vidkun Quisling. And many more. It must be quite crowded now.)