When President Trump quipped to the press about where he would spend eternity, many Christians were moved to pray for his spiritual clarity, knowing that his words highlighted a lack of understanding of the simple Gospel message.

“I don’t think there’s anything that’s gonna get me in heaven. I really don’t,” President Trump said to reporters on October 13th aboard Air Force One.  “I think I’m not, maybe, heaven-bound. I may be in heaven right now as we fly in Air Force One. I’m not sure I’m gonna be able to make heaven. But I’ve made life better for a lot of people.”

Since returning to office, the president has made frequent public statements, often in a witty tone, about where he will spend eternity. Has he done enough to “qualify” himself for everlasting life through peace-making efforts on the world stage, protecting religious liberty at home and abroad, and other good works? At times, Trump would express confidence in his “odds,” other times he would merely “hope,” and at some points he would voice outright concerns about his eternity.

This confusion is not uncommon for those who recognize the existence of God and have reverence for the Bible, but neglect to realize the profound purpose of Jesus’ arrival on the world scene 2,000 years ago.

These remarks weighed heavily on the hearts of Christians, including evangelist Franklin Graham, who wanted the President to understand that, through Christ, the answer to the question and assurance of eternity is not beyond anyone’s reach.

Like his father before him, Graham has been given by God a uniquely valued voice that stretches to the highest office in the land. After hearing the President’s statements about Heaven, Graham used that divinely provided favor in the eyes of the nation’s Commander-in-Chief to deliver the Gospel’s simple and powerful message.

His impactful letter, sent last October, was shared by the President on Palm Sunday across social media platforms.

“This week, you commented to the media that you might not be heaven bound,” Graham began. “Maybe you responded in jest, but it is an important issue to know for certain that your soul is secure and will spend eternity in the presence of God.”

“The only One who can save us from Hell is Jesus Christ,” he emphasized. “You can’t save yourself; I can’t save myself.”

“Good works, prominence, success–none of these get us to Heaven. The only way to Heaven is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ,” Graham stressed to the President. “God requires us to turn from our sins and, by faith, believe in our heart that Jesus came to earth, died on the cross for our sins, was buried, and God raised Him to life on the third day. If you accept that by faith and invite Him to come into your heart, you ARE heaven bound, I promise you. The Bible says, ‘if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved’ (Romans 10:9).”

In an interview with Erick Stakelbeck on Stakelbeck Tonight, Graham further detailed his intention in writing the letter, noting that he “never dreamed” that his salvation message would be published by the President.

“I just said, Mr. President, I want you to know what the Bible has to say, and I shared with him how it is to be saved. It’s not by our works,” Graham told Stakelbeck. “It’s by God’s grace. It’s through faith in Jesus Christ… We can be saved—and you can be sure that you are heaven-bound.”

“I just wanted the President to know for sure,” he detailed. “It was a private letter; I never dreamed it would be made public.”

“The fact that he released it on Palm Sunday, to me, I think that it was his way of getting the Easter message out to everyone,” Graham added.

Mainstream media outlets were less than enthusiastic about the now-public letter. People Magazine published a wildly inaccurate retelling of the story, with the headline: “Rev. Franklin Graham Tells Trump His ‘Soul Is Secure’ After He Fundraised for Help Getting to Heaven.”

“After previously questioning if he would go to heaven after he died, Donald Trump was assured by Christian evangelist Franklin Graham that he was not going to hell,” the publication claimed. “Donald Trump says he’s received assurance that he’s going to heaven, and he’s sharing the evidence to go with it.”

Of course, nowhere in the letter did the evangelist declare that the President’s “soul is secure”—such a statement contradicts the entire purpose of his message: that it is only through faith and acceptance of Jesus Christ that we can have assurance in eternal life.

The facts were not relevant to those longing to portray Christians and the President in a corrupt and foolish light. Thankfully, many in the comments below the article were outraged by the story’s brazen inaccuracy.

“Mr. Graham NEVER ONCE said Trump is going to heaven,” one wrote. “He simply stated that the only way to get to heaven is through Jesus Christ, which is 100% correct! People’s headline is VERY misleading!!”

“PEOPLE’S headline isn’t just misleading, it’s outright incorrect,” wrote another.  “F. Graham didn’t tell DJT his soul was secure… He was witnessing to Trump. Letting him know how important questioning your salvation is (i.e. questioning whether or not you’re going to heaven) and sharing *how* to be saved, in order to secure his soul. The distinction between this headline and the truth is important!”

Breanna Claussen is the Founder, President, and Editor-in-Chief of Harbinger’s Daily, working with ministries across the globe to educate and equip believers to stand boldly with a Biblical worldview.