Rep.Debbie Dingellsays she doesn’t want an apology from PresidentDonald Trumpafter he suggested that her late husband, Rep. John Dingell, was “maybe looking up” from hell.
Instead, the representative said she wants people to use Trump’s actions as a reminder to always think before speaking. “What I do want is for people to take a deep breath and think going forward that their words have consequences, that they can hurt, and how do we bring more civility back to our political environment,” she explained.
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The president’s remarks were made on the same day the House of Representativesvoted to impeach him.As the impeachment was being voted on Wednesday, Trump was holding a campaign rally in Battle Creek, Michigan, at the time.
“Debbie Dingell, that’s a real beauty,” Trump said,according toCNN, which also reported that the president recounted a conversation he had with Dingell after her husband’sdeath in February at age 92.
While the grieving widow told Trump her husband was “looking down” at his funeral, Trump recalled a different suggestion.
“Maybe he’s looking up,” he said during the rally. “Maybe, but let’s assume he’s looking down.”
Trump’s remark about John, who was the longest-serving congressman in history, was not well received in the late politician’s home state, according to CNN.
Late Rep. John Dingell and his wife Rep. Debbie Dingell.Rebecca D’Angelo/For the Washington Post/Getty Images
“Mr. President, let’s set politics aside. My husband earned all his accolades after a lifetime of service,” she tweeted on Wednesday. “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.”
Earlier on Wednesday, sheapplaudedHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi for “strong leadership and an empathetic hand” in the impeachment proceedings.
Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call
Though she was initially “hesitant” to vote in favor of impeachment, Dingell recently explained in aNew York Timesop-edthat hisUkraine scandalwas the last straw for her.
“If we don’t address this abuse of power, we abdicate our constitutional and moral responsibility. Failing to address it would also condone these actions as acceptable for future administrations,” she continued, adding that voting for Trump’s impeachment meant she was “to protect our Constitution, our democratic republic and the future of our country.”
source: people.com
