Overview

• In an Aug. 19 Fox & Friends interview, the president said saving lives by helping end the Russia‑Ukraine war could be a reason he "gets to heaven," adding he has heard he is "at the bottom of the totem pole."
• The comments followed an Aug. 18 White House summit with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders, after which Trump said he phoned Vladimir Putin to push for a meeting with Zelenskyy.
• Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said she believes the president was serious about the afterlife remarks, framing them as a genuine expression of faith.
• Religious responses ranged from Bishop Robert Barron praising the humility and focus on love to evangelical figures emphasizing that Christian doctrine does not teach salvation by works.
• The moment drew widespread social‑media reaction and renewed questions about Trump’s health, even as a recent physician’s note cited by the White House described chronic venous insufficiency with tests otherwise within normal limits.