Marc Short, Vice President Mike Pence’s chief staff, defended President Donald Trump’s recent suggestion that deceased Congressman John Dingell (D-MI) is in hell, essentially claiming on Sunday that Dingell brought on the attacks via his past actions. Asked by Fox News Sunday anchor Chris Wallace why the president won’t apologize for the remarks that deeply hurt Dingell’s widow Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Short said the administration “respects the service” of the late lawmaker before taking aim at Dingell.

“I’m sorry that she’s in this circumstance today, but in light of where we were on Wednesday night, I think the president was saying John Dingell was not exactly a wallflower,” Short declared. “John Dingell called the president an imbecile in his closing months. John Dingell himself, as well, had a lot of critical comments about the president, yet [Trump] took time to call Debbie Dingell, to express his personal condolences on the passing. He lowered flags to half-mast.”