Overview

• In an Aug. 19 Fox & Friends call, the president said saving lives by ending the war could help him “get to heaven” and cited a claim of 7,000 people a week being killed.
• He followed up this week by telling radio host Todd Starnes there must be a heavenly “report card,” and questioned why non-believers would choose to be good.
• White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president was serious about his comments on wanting to reach heaven.
• Religious figures weighed in, with Franklin Graham emphasizing salvation through Christ, Bishop Robert Barron praising the president’s humility, and some evangelicals criticizing a works-based view.
• Trump’s push to broker talks included a White House meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders on Aug. 18 and outreach to Vladimir Putin, but there is no ceasefire agreement.