President Donald Trump Wednesday night launched an attack so crass and in such bad taste that even his supporters seemed shocked.
Speaking at a Michigan rally, the president made an off-color remark that the late Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) might be “looking up” from hell.
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Trump began his attack on the Dingell family Wednesday by going after Rep. Debbie Dingell (D- MI), John’s widow, apparently offended that she dared to vote in favor of impeachment after he treated her husband with some level of respect when he died.
“Debbie Dingell, that’s a real beauty,” Trump said, before adding he gave her husband the “A plus” treatment after he died in February. While Trump did order flags to fly at half-staff, Dingell did not lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda, which the president suggested he arranged for the late veteran.
The president also claimed Debbie Dingell called him during the funeral process saying, “He’s looking down, he’d be so thrilled.”
“I said ‘that’s OK, don’t worry about it,’” Trump told the rallygoers. Then, he suggested that John Dingell is in hell. “Maybe he’s looking up, I don’t know.”
Some rallygoers burst into laughter, while others groaned audibly. The camera panned to the crowd, showing a number of shocked faces.
READ: It’s official: Donald Trump just got impeached
John Dingell died in February at 92. He served in World War II and was the longest-serving member of Congress in U.S. history.
https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1207485852013625345?s=20
Debbie Dingell responded on Wednesday in heart-wrenching fashion.
“Mr. President, let’s set politics aside. My husband earned all his accolades after a lifetime of service,” she tweeted. “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.”
Trump’s insults levied against a dead man caused an immediate backlash ― even some Republicans were upset with Trump.
READ: Nancy Pelosi just made a major impeachment power play
“There was no need to ‘dis’ [Dingell] in a crass political way. Most unfortunate and an apology is due,” tweeted Michigan Republican Rep. Fred Upton.
https://twitter.com/GMA/status/1207639754163904512?s=20
Trump has a habit of attacking dead men. He attacked late Sen. John McCain in March, lamenting he never got thanked for approving parts of his funeral. Trump even suggested McCain, famously a POW in Vietnam, had failed veterans.
“I have to be honest, I never liked him much,” Trump said of McCain. “Hasn’t been for me. I’ve really, probably, never will.”
The White House tried to clean up Trump’s mess on Thursday. Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham was mostly evasive in an interview with “Good Morning America,” telling host George Stephanopoulos he’d have to ask Trump about the comments. But Grisham also suggested Trump was “counter-punching” ― against a dead man ― after being impeached.
“The president is a counter-puncher,” she said. “It was a very, very supportive and wild crowd. And he was just riffing on some of the things that had been happening the past few days.”
Cover: President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Battle Creek, Mich., Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2019. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
