After months of speculation that he was transitioning into a woman, Bruce Jenner confirmed the news in an interview with Diane Sawyer that aired on ABC Friday night, clarifying that he is also a Republican and a Christian.

When asked about Barack Obama addressing LGBT rights in his State of the Union, the 65-year-old former Olympic athlete said that didn’t affect him much.

“I’ve always been more on the conservative side,” Jenner said.

Sawyer, looking shocked, asked if he identifies as a Republican, to which Jenner answered, “Yes.”

Jenner said he is a Christian as well.

“I would sit in church and always wonder, ‘In God’s eyes, how does he see me?'”

But now, he said, he’s realized that maybe this is part of his purpose.

“Maybe this is my cause in life.”

“This is why God put me on this earth…to deal with this issue.” (RELATED: Bruce Jenner: ‘I Am A Woman’)

The ABC interview is Jenner’s first time publicly confirming that he is indeed transitioning into a woman.

“For all intents and purposes, I am a woman.”

The 65-year-old, who was recently spotted wearing a dress, admitted he has been confused with his gender identity since “I was this big.”

Read the rest of Jenner’s interview here.

Follow Kaitlan on Twitter