(WWJ) - U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell is reacting after President Donald Trump suggested her late husband, Congressman John Dingell, is in Hell.
Trump made the remarks while attacking Democrats who voted to impeach him on two articles Wednesday night. He said he gave John Dingell, the longest-serving member of Congress in U.S. history who died in February, the "A+" treatment for his memorial and funeral services.
Trump said Dingell had called him to thank him after her husband's death and said he "was looking down," referencing Heaven.
"Maybe he's looking up. I don't know, but let's assume he's looking down," Trump said, implying that Dingell went to Hell. The remarks drew an audible grown from the West Michigan crowd, with some boos and a few audible cheers.
An obviously upset Dingell said she was speechless when she heard his remarks.
"I think you put politics aside when you're talking about somebody that somebody loves. I would never attack his family members," Dingell told WWJ's Charlie Langton. "I have been very thoughtful on the impeachment. I've been very careful to not use words that attack people personally. I was just kind of speechless."
Trumps words went far beyond his intended target, Dingell said, and undeservedly hurt her family as well.
"My family is still very much grieving for John. I miss him every day," she said. "Thanksgiving was hard. Christmas is hard. (Trump) is impacting not only people that he wants to take shots at, which is me -- my husband didn't deserve the shot -- but it's a family that's grieving."
As for an apology, Dingell said she's not interested.
"I'm not going to politicize something that just shouldn't have been," she said. "He took his shot. I'm going to keep doing my job for the people of Michigan."
In a statement, the White House said Trump was "just riffing" when he took a swipe at the late congressman.
White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said Thursday on ABC's "Good Morning America" that she did not know why Trump decided to suggest that Dingell was in hell. "You'd have to talk to the president about that," she said.
But Grisham added that Trump is a "counter-puncher," and suggested Trump was venting his frustration after being impeached by the House. "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."
Grisham insisted that the White House respects the Dingell's family's public service, but noted she hadn't discussed the incident with the president.
"I am very very sorry for her loss," she added.