Trump suggests LBJ is in hell: ‘He’s probably looking down — or looking up’

President Trump raised some eyebrows during a campaign rally in Wisconsin on Tuesday night after he said the late President Lyndon B. Johnson was “probably looking down — or looking up” on America today.

The comment came while Trump was defending a phone call he shared with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last July that was the subject of the whistleblower complaint that helped spark the House Democrats’ impeachment inquiry. 

“This is based on a perfect phone call. Did anybody read the transcript? It’s a perfect call. In fact, if you go back and look at Lyndon Johnson, all of ‘em, you know, Lyndon Johnson was sort of a tough guy. Can you imagine his phone calls?” he said at the rally in Milwaukee.

Pres. Trump: “This is based on a perfect phone call… If you go back and look at Lyndon Johnson. You know Lyndon Johnson was sort of a tough guy. Can you imagine his phone calls? He’s probably looking down or looking up, and he’s probably saying ‘these people have gone crazy.'” pic.twitter.com/PljlhQYFg2

— The Hill (@thehill) January 14, 2020

“He’s probably looking down — or looking up,” he added to some laughs from his supporters.

The remark was almost immediately met with criticism on Twitter. 

George Conway, a conservative attorney and husband of White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, took a dig at Trump on Twitter: 

Trump is hoping to meet LBJ I guess https://t.co/Eqvhm9MAsZ

— George Conway (@gtconway3d) January 14, 2020

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), who chairs the House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy, also took aim at Trump over the remark.

“We can listen to recordings of many of LBJ’s calls and, hard as many of them can be to listen to now for many reasons, he didn’t ask foreign governments to intervene in our elections in exchange for congressionally authorized military aid.”

We can listen to recordings of many of LBJ’s calls and, hard as many of them can be to listen to now for many reasons, he didn’t ask foreign governments to intervene in our elections in exchange for congressionally authorized military aid. https://t.co/6Dnqepk462 https://t.co/uAJmUZRQ1A

— Raja Krishnamoorthi (@CongressmanRaja) January 14, 2020

Trump also drew backlash last month after he made similar comments about the late Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) at a rally in Michigan. 

At the time, Trump had suggested the late congressman, who died at age 92 last year, was “looking up” in the afterlife instead of down from heaven. “Maybe he’s looking up. I don’t know. … But let’s assume he’s looking down,” he said.

The comments sparked fierce criticism from the late congressman’s widow, Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), and prompted lawmakers from both sides of the aisle to demand an apology.