Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Dingell was close to tears on Thursday when she talked about Donald Trump’s insinuation that her late husband is in hell.
‘I loved my husband very much. I’m still having a hard time. He was my partner and the love of my life, and so I was already having a hard time with this holiday and the comments that he made was just – it made me sad. But I’ll keep doing my job,’ she said during an appearance on Fox News.
Her husband, the late Congressman John Dingell, who was the longest-ever serving member of Congress and beloved by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, became a target of the president’s ire Wednesday night as Trump complained about Debbie Dingell’s vote in favor of the articles of impeachment against him.
Debbie Dingell was close to tears on Thursday when she talked about Donald Trump’s insinuation that her late husband is in hell
President Trump went after Rep. Debbie Dingell and her late husband at his campaign rally in Michigan Wednesday night
John Dingell was the longest serving member of Congress and his wife Debbie replaced him in his congressional seat – the couple is seen together in 2014
Speaker Nancy Pelosi said President Trump was ‘insecure’ for attacking John Dingell
Known for his dry wit, which he employed frequently on Twitter and often at Trump’s expense, John Dingell was a passionate advocate for his home state of Michigan and so loved there that even some of the conservative fans of the president groaned when Trump insulted the late congressman at his campaign rally.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi said President Trump’s attack on John Dingell was reminiscent of his attacks on the late Senator John McCain and called him ‘insecure’ for going after such distinguished lawmakers.
‘Let us pray. Let us pray for the president. The president clearly is insecure when it comes to statespersons, whether it was John McCain. Think of what he said about John McCain and his supporters just overlooked that. John McCain. Now John Dingell. What the president misunderstands is that cruelty is not wit. Just because he gets a laugh for saying the cruel things that he says doesn’t mean he’s funny. It’s not funny at all. It’s very sad,’ she said Thursday on Capitol Hill.
The president was angry Rep. Debbie Dingell voted in favor of the two articles of impeachment against him, arguing he gave the family ‘A-plus treatment’ in the days after John Dingell’s death in February 2019 at the age of 92.
White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said on Thursday the president was at a political rally and went on a ‘riff’ in front of the ‘wild’ crowd of supporters.
‘He was at a political rally. He has been under attack and under impeachment attack for the last few months then just under attack politically for the last 2 1/2 years. I think as we all know the president is a counterpuncher. It was a very, very support I have — supportive and wild crowd and he was just riffing on,’ she told ABC’s ‘Good Morning America.’
She added her condolences to Debbie Dingell.
‘I would say that I am very, very sorry for her loss and I would thank her and her late husband for all of the service to our country. The president did lower the flags at the White House to half-staff to do everything he could to honor him at her request,’ Grisham said.
Cindy McCain, the widow of the late Sen. John McCain, another lawmaker often the target of Trump’s fury, expressed her sympathy to Debbie Dingell via Twitter.
‘I’m terribly sorry. Please know I am thinking about you,’ Cindy McCain wrote.
At his rally in Battle Creek, Michigan, across the state from John Dingell’s congressional district in Dearborn, Trump fumed about how Debbie Dingell voted to impeach him even though he authorized funeral proceedings for John Dingell, a World War II veteran who served in Congress for 59 years.
Debbie Dingell, a former lobbyist, replaced her husband in his congressional district. She is close to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who walked to the House floor hand-in-hand with her ahead of the impeachment vote.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, seen with Rep. Debbie Dingell, said she is praying for Trump
White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said the president was at a political rally and went on a ‘riff’ in front of the ‘wild’ crowd of supporters
Rep. Debbie Dingell is close to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who walked hand-in-hand with her to the House floor ahead of Wednesday’s impeachment vote
The hearse carrying the casket of Rep. John Dingell briefly stop at the U.S. Capitol on February 12, 2019, on its way to his funeral service
Trump indicated in his remarks – which came as House Democrats made him the third president in American history to be impeached – that he thought John Dingell was in hell.
‘She calls me up, ‘That’s the nicest thing that ever happened. Thank you so much. John would be so thrilled. He’s looking down. He’d be so thrilled,’ Trump said, impersonating Debbie Dingell while he spoke of a conversation the two had after John Dingell died. ‘Thank you so much, sir,’ he described her as saying.
‘That’s okay don’t worry about it,’ Trump described himself as responding magnanimously.
‘Maybe he’s looking up, I don’t know, but let’s assume he’s looking down,’ Trump then quipped.
Several members of the crowd groaned at his remarks.
By going after Dingell, Trump was revisiting a grievance.
He tweeted four days ago: ‘The last time I spoke to Debbie Dingell was her call thanking me for granting top memorial and funeral service honors for her then just departed husband, long-time Congressman John Dingell. Now I watch her ripping me as part of the Democrats Impeachment Hoax. Really pathetic!’
President Trump was angry Rep. Debbie Dingell voted in favor of impeachment
John Dingell served in Congress for 59 years, succeeding his father. His wife Debbie later was elected to his seat
At his rally Trump claimed he ordered flags to be lowered in the wake of John Dingell’s death and said he offered up the Capitol Rotunda for his memorial.
But John Dingell did not lay in state in the Capitol – his casket was driven by the East Front and lawmakers stood on the steps to pay their respects. And Trump would not have been able to offer the Rotunda as that decision lies with congressional leadership and not the president.
Debbie Dingell tweeted her response Thursday night in the wake of Trump’s remarks.
‘Mr. President, let’s set politics aside. My husband earned all his accolades after a lifetime of service. I’m preparing for the first holiday season without the man I love. You brought me down in a way you can never imagine and your hurtful words just made my healing much harder,’ she wrote.
And Republican Congressman Fred Upton of Michigan said the president owed Dingell an apology.
‘I’ve always looked up to John Dingell – my good friend and a great Michigan legend. There was no need to ‘dis’ him in a crass political way. Most unfortunate and an apology is due,’ Upton wrote on Twitter.