Rep. Dingell doubles down on internment camp claims: 'Really wasn't a joke'

Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., implied that her past suggestion former President Trump would open internment camps for political prisoners "really wasn't a joke."

Although she did not mention what "joke" she had made, Dingell referenced how she "got in trouble" in the previous week for comments she said regarding Trump. 

"I was listening to the discussion with your panel before this, you know, I got in trouble this week because I made a joke, one that really wasn't a joke, that someone might have to…I was talking about Donald Trump's comments, about his political enemies, and the enemy within this country," Dingell said on CNN Sunday.

REP. DINGELL TELLS JAKE TAPPER HE MIGHT 'HAVE TO VISIT' HER IN AN INTERNMENT CAMP IF TRUMP WINS

She added, "I think people do get disturbed by his language at times, and it makes people take a pause and think about it. And I have seen that impact people that I talked to a month ago." 

The "joke" was likely her claim last week on CNN that Trump would put Muslim Americans in internment camps. The remark seemed to stun host Jake Tapper at the time.

"The Arab American community needs to be reminded and cannot forget. He wants to ban Muslims. He wants to deport Muslims, and he wants to start internment camps. And that's what we are busy talking to every voter. He's telling you what he's going to do. Believe him," Dingell said.

"Internment camps?" Tapper asked.

"Yes. He has talked internment camps," Dingell argued. "You know what, Jake, you may have to visit me in one. I get worried enough when he talks about what he's going to do to his political enemies, but he has talked about them in this with different groups of people."

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Tapper remarked, "Well, I've heard him talking about rounding up undocumented migrants and, obviously, for that, you would need some sort of camp. But what do you mean internment camps for Muslims and Arabs?"

"He has spoken about that in different audiences. I don't have the exact citation right here, but I'll find it for you. And he's been very clear," Dingell said.

Trump has not referenced internment camps during his campaign, however, the Harris campaign evoked the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II in an ad against Trump last month.

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