President Donald Trump joked that perhaps Rep. John Dingell was “looking up” at him from hell after his wife voted to impeach him.
“Debbie Dingell, that’s a real beauty,” Trump said, recalling that she asked him to honor her husband John, who was the longest-serving Congressman in history when he passed away in February.
Trump recalled his conversation with Rep. Debbie Dingell during a rally with supporters in Battle Creek, Michigan, after the House voted to impeach him.
At Debbie Dingell’s request, Trump ordered that flags be lowered to half-staff in February to honor her dead husband.
Trump recalled the phone call with Debbie and his decision to honor him in the Capitol Rotunda for his memorial.
“I gave him everything … she calls me up, ‘It’s the nicest thing that’s ever happened, thank you so much, John would be so thrilled, he’s looking down, he would be so thrilled,'” he recalled.
Trump added, “I said that’s ok, don’t worry about it, maybe he’s looking up, that’s ok.”
The crowd laughed and expressed amazement at the line, as some in the audience cheered.
“Maybe,” he added. “But let’s assume he’s looking down.”
Trump said he gave John Dingell the “A plus” treatment, and that Debbie thanked him profusely.
Debbie Dingell was appointed to fill her husband’s seat in Michigan.
Trump noted that Debbie Dingell now was advocating for his impeachment in the House of Representatives.
“Now she’s out there saying, ‘We have to look seriously at our president because he may have violated the Constitution of the United States,'” Trump said, as some in the crowd booed.
Trump’s comment drew instant criticism on Twitter, prompting a response from Debbie Dingell on Twitter.
“I’m preparing for the first holiday season without the man I love,” she wrote. “You brought me down in a way you can never imagine and your hurtful words just made my healing much harder.”
Trump also criticized Debbie Dingell on Twitter earlier this week.