Debbie Dingell Doesn't Want An Apology From Trump. Here's What She Does Want.

Despite bipartisan calls for President Donald Trump to apologize to Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) for his comment about her late husband , former Rep. John Dingell, the congresswoman has decided she doesnt need one.

Trump was slammed by Democrats and Republicans alike after he joked during a Michigan campaign rally last Wednesday that Dingell, who passed away in February, might be looking up from hell.

The newly impeached president had been complaining about Debbie Dingells decision to vote in favor of both articles of impeachment even though hed honored her husband after his death, which he said the congresswoman had thanked him for profusely in a phone call at the time.

White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham defended Trump on Thursday, saying he was just riffing to his very supportive and wild crowd. She did not give an indication that he planned to apologize.

Before Dingells appearance on Fox News Sunday, an aide to Vice President Mike Pence , Marc Short, claimed that Trump had been kind to Dingell even though her husband had made a lot of critical comments about the president.

In a tweet last week , the congresswoman said she had been deeply affected by Trumps hurtful words. She reiterated these sentiments on Fox News Sunday but clarified that she was not seeking an apology.

It just sort of kicked me in the stomach. It was a politicization of something that didnt need to be, she told host Chris Wallace.

Your Support Has Never Been More Critical

Other news outlets have retreated behind paywalls. At HuffPost, we believe journalism should be free for everyone.

Would you help us provide essential information to our readers during this critical time? We can't do it without you.

Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.

You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you.

Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all.

Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all.

Support HuffPost

Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI) responds to President Trump's attack on her late husband. She calls for more civility in political discourse: \"We have to learn in our country that you have to disagree agreeably.\" \"#FNS #FoxNews pic.twitter.com/91ZnDEnjO0

FoxNewsSunday (@FoxNewsSunday) December 22, 2019","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"FoxNewsSunday","author_url":"https://twitter.com/FoxNewsSunday","cache_age":86400,"description":"Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI) responds to President Trump's attack on her late husband. She calls for more civility in political discourse: \"We have to learn in our country that you have to disagree agreeably.\" \"#FNS #FoxNews pic.twitter.com/91ZnDEnjO0 FoxNewsSunday (@FoxNewsSunday) December 22, 2019\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false}},"provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":675,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/amplify_video_thumb/1208774240285216770/img/CrvuYBOoNfh6dT4u.jpg","thumbnail_width":1200,"title":"FoxNewsSunday on Twitter","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/FoxNewsSunday/status/1208775768945418240","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"mobile","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://action.news","locale":"en_US"},"originalEdition":"us","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"5dffdae2e4b05b08bab73570","entryPermalink":"https://action.news/entry/debbie-dingell-trump-apology_n_5dffdae2e4b05b08bab73570","entryTagsList":"donald-trump,chris-wallace,fox-news-sunday,marc-short,john-dingell,debbie-dingell","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":"politics-news","sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"us-news","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065","stickyPlayerControl":"52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da","stickyPlayerON":"8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"https://img.connatix.com/99593e28-c5e4-4d22-bedf-35baccaf2686/1_th.jpg?crop=480:270,smart&width=480&height=270&format=jpeg&quality=60&fit=crop","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":11},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"5dffdae2e4b05b08bab73570","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"mobile","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":"Donald Trump","slug":"donald-trump","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/donald-trump","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/donald-trump","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/donald-trump"},"relegenceId":2789214,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Donald Trump","slug":"donald-trump","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/donald-trump"},{"name":"Chris Wallace","slug":"chris-wallace","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/chris-wallace","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/chris-wallace","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/chris-wallace"},"relegenceId":3571428,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Media","slug":"media"},"topic":{"title":"Chris Wallace","slug":"chris-wallace","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/chris-wallace"},{"name":"Fox News Sunday","slug":"fox-news-sunday","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/fox-news-sunday","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/fox-news-sunday","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/fox-news-sunday"},"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Media","slug":"media"},"topic":{"title":"Fox News","slug":"fox-news","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/fox-news"},{"name":"Marc Short","slug":"marc-short","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/marc-short","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/marc-short","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/marc-short"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/marc-short"},{"name":"john dingell","slug":"john-dingell","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/john-dingell","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/john-dingell","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/john-dingell"},"relegenceId":3608478,"url":"https://action.news/topic/john-dingell"},{"name":"debbie dingell","slug":"debbie-dingell","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/debbie-dingell","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/debbie-dingell","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/debbie-dingell"},"relegenceId":6454039,"url":"https://action.news/topic/debbie-dingell"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["

\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false,"enhancements":{}}">

Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI) responds to President Trump's attack on her late husband. She calls for more civility in political discourse: "We have to learn in our country that you have to disagree agreeably." "#FNS #FoxNews pic.twitter.com/91ZnDEnjO0
FoxNewsSunday (@FoxNewsSunday) December 22, 2019

She said that she continues to be grateful that Trump called her to say he was lowering the flags in her husbands honor after he died.

I was grateful for the call, he was kind and empathetic, and it meant a lot to somebody who was hurting and loved her husband.

But when it came to impeachment and showing respect for her late husband, those are two different issues for me, Dingell said.

We have to learn in our country that you can disagree agreeably. I understand that this impeachment was a very personal issue to him but ... I think he crossed a line there.

I dont need an apology, dont want an apology, I dont want a campaign to begin around that, she said. What I do want is for people to take a deep breath and think that their words have consequences and that they can hurt, and how do we bring more civility back to our political environment. The rhetoric in this country has turned so ugly, vitriolic and bullying.

The congresswoman concluded her appearance by sharing words written by her husband after the death of President George H.W. Bush last year, which Wallace requested she read aloud.

Frankly, I think this is an important message, particularly at Christmastime, he said.

John Dingell wrote that Bush had been horrified at the hateful turn the national discourse had taken. Their message was that all Americans should treat one another with the same dignity and respect with which they expect to be treated.