DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) – On the day of his death, long-time representative John Dingell dictated a message of farewell to America and used some of his last words to criticize President Donald Trump.
Dingell dictated the message to his wife and congressional successor, Debbie Dingell, on Thursday in their suburban home in Detroit. The Washington Post on Friday released an opinion piece.
"One of the benefits of knowing that your death is imminent and that the information on this will not be very exaggerated is that you have a few moments to formulate some thoughts," Dingell said Thursday. "In our modern political era, the tyrannical presidential chair seems doomed to division and denigration, often in the most infantile and least relevant sense, of political opposition."
Dingell, died Thursday at 92 years ago, did not mention Trump named in the article.
Dingell represented areas of southeastern Michigan for nearly 60 years before retiring in 2014 as a congressman having the longest seniority in the history of the United States.
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Representative John Dingell Through the Years
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UNITED STATES – MARCH 31: STATEMENT OF PATIENT RIGHTS – John D. Dingell , D-Mich., At a press conference of Democrats of the House and Senate to introduce the bill on managed care. (Photo by Douglas Graham / Congressional Quarterly / Getty Images)
UNITED STATES – OCTOBER 01: Representative John Dingell at the International Investors Conference. (Photo by Karl Schumacher / LIFE / Getty Images Collection)
3/15/1983 – Washington, DC: Close up at Congressman John Dingell's press conference.
FILE – As a guest photo, June 2, 1977, President Jimmy Carter organizes a breakfast in the White House family dining room in Washington for members of the House subcommittee responsible for housekeeping. Energy and energy. On the left, representatives John M. Murphy (DN.Y.), representatives John Dingell (D-Mich.), President Carter, representatives Harley Staggers (DW Va.) And representatives Andrew Maguire (DN.J. ). and representing Timothy Wirth (D-Colo.). Fifty-seven years ago, Representative John Dingell, who this week becomes the oldest Congressman in history, almost began his tearful career in the House. Members paid tribute to his father, John Dingell Sr., who recently passed away. (AP Photo / Charles Harrity, File)
Congressman John Dingell in camouflage while on a geese hunting expedition. (Photo by Kenneth Garrett / Woodfin Camp / Woodfin Camp / LIFE / Getty Images Collection)
(Original Caption) Washington, DC: President Reagan requests a pen to sign a law, January 6, to bail out the agricultural credit system, providing the first federal aid to the country's largest agricultural lender since the Great Depression. Behind Reagan, the president of the left, Senator Patrick Leahy (Democrat – Vermont); Representative John Dingell (Democrat – Michigan); and the representative James Jeffords (Republican – Vermont.)
Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., Comments President Jimmy Carter during an interview in his office at Capitol Hill on June 12, 1979. Carter arrived in Washington as a foreigner and remains an outsider of politics. from Washington. Dingell is nonetheless a supporter of the president. (AP Photo / John Duricka)
House Energy Comm. NSHC. Representative John Dingell (Dem-MI) in his office at Capitol Hill. (Photo of Terry Ashe / LIFE / Getty Images Collection)
UNITED STATES – OCTOBER 28: PROFILE: John D. Dingell, D-Mich., In his Office Building Office from Rayburn House. (Photo by Douglas Graham / Congressional Quarterly / Getty Images)
Rep. John David Dingell, D-Mich., Member of the House of Representatives, occupies a prominent place at the round table on the first day of the Democratic Party's retirement. March 8, 1991 (Photo by Maureen Keating / CQ Call via Getty Images)
UNITED STATES – JUNE 11: TELECOMMUNICATION ARRANGEMENTS – In his opening statement, Executive Member John Dingell, D-Mich., Right , joking with President Tom Bliley, R-Va., during the full markup of the 1998 fiscal year budget regarding spectrum sales by the Trade Committee. Barbara Cubin, R-Wyo., Is in the foreground. (Photo by Scott J. Ferrell / Congressional Quarterly / Getty Images)
UNITED STATES – JULY 19: PATIENT RIGHTS – John D. Dingell, D-Mich., Charlie Norwood, R-Ga., In the middle, and Greg Ganske, R-Iowa, at a press conference on the Senate patient rights bill. (Photo by Scott J. Ferrell / Congress Quarterly / Getty Images)
UNITED STATES – APRIL 06: Dem. Lois Capps, D-Calif., House Energy and Commerce Ranking, Democrat John D. Dingell, D-Mich., And House Means Rank Democrat Charles B. Rangel, DN.Y. a press conference on the Medicare Part D scheme, created by the Republican-controlled Congress in 2003 and currently being implemented. Seniors have until May 15 to enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan without being assessed a penalty. Democrats say the deadline should be extended to allow seniors, as Capps says, to "navigate this complicated labyrinth of rules and regulations" with "conflicting messages and mass confusion." Dingell was a member of the House of Commons in 1965, when the Congress launched the Medicare Health Care Program for the Elderly and Disabled. (Photo by Scott J. Ferrell / Congressional Quarterly / Getty Images)
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (left) receives a box of paczki, a traditional pastry typically eaten on Mardi Gras. Chene Modern Bakery in Detroit of Energy and Trade Chairman John Dingell (R) (D-MI), February 5, 2007 at Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. AFP PHOTO / TIM SLOAN (Photo credit to read TIM SLOAN / AFP / Getty Images)
WASHINGTON – OCTOBER 28: Dem. John Dingell, D-Mich., And his wife Debbie Dingell, attend Susan G. Komen for the Cure's Honoring Pledge at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on October 28, 2011 in Washington, DC DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi / WireImage)
UNITED STATES – JULY 29: Former representative John Dingell, D-Mich., Brandit the mallet that he had used when he had presided over the vote to get health insurance adopted in 1965 at the democrats' demonstration in the House. to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid on Wednesday, July 29, 2015. (Photo by Bill Clark / Roll call)
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On Friday, Trump ordered flags from the White House. and other federal facilities reduced to half the staff in memory of Dingell. The president also used Twitter to express his condolences to Debbie Dingell and other family members.
"The longest-serving congressman in the history of the country, which means that if people understand politics, he is very clever," tweeted Trump. "A great reputation and a highly respected man."
Dingell's opinion article was similar to a letter written by former Arizona senator, John McCain, prior to his August death of a cancer patient. brain.
In McCain's letter, the late Republican of Arizona appeared. to repudiate Trump's policy for the last time, saying: "We weaken our greatness when we confuse our patriotism with tribal rivalries that have sown resentment, hatred and violence in every corner of the world."
Much of Dingell's letter to the Post focused on the country and the improvements made over the decades to Medicare, the environment, the Great Lakes and efforts to end to racial discrimination.
"All of these challenges have been addressed by Congress," said Dingell. "Maybe not as fast as we wanted, or as perfectly as we hoped, the work is definitely not over, but we've made progress – and in any case, from Medicare to passage of civil rights, we did it with the support of Democrats and Republicans who considered themselves first and foremost as Americans. "
In conclusion, he said:" While I I am preparing to leave everything behind me, I leave you now under the control of the largest nation of humanity and pray to God gives you the wisdom to understand the responsibility you hold in your hands. bless you all and bless America. "
Trump's proclamation applies to White House flags, other public buildings and land, US military posts and marine stations and all Federal Navy ships. They will be lowered until Saturday night.
Flags of US embassies and other overseas facilities are also ordered from a half-staff. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer also ordered that flags on state property be lowered.
A public tour will take place Monday at the Ford Community and the Performing Arts Center in Dearborn. Funeral will be held Tuesday in a local church.
After these services, a coffin bearing Dingell's body will be conducted in front of the Capitol Building in Washington. The public is invited to watch from the east lawn of the Capitol.
A second funeral mass will be held on Thursday at 10:30 am at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Washington. The public is invited.
Dingell will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery, said his wife Debbie Dingell, who succeeded him at the Michigan congressional headquarters. some of its more than 250,000 subscribers on Twitter.
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John Dingell, the oldest US Congressman, died at age 92
