'He's still alive': Trump tells local steelworker union head his not-dead dad is 'looking down' and 'really proud'

At a White House press conference on Thursday, Donald Trump on Thursday assured a member of United Steelworkers that his father “is looking down” on, and is “very proud,” of him—but there was just one problem.

"Your father, Herman, is looking down,” Trump told the local union leader. “He's very proud of you right now.”

Trump's comment was a reference to the steelworker's short speech about working for the same factory where his father worked for 40 years.

“Oh, he’s still alive,” the steelworker replied.

“Then he’s even more proud,” Trump mock-whispered, before repeating the line into the microphone.

Trump had assembled steelworkers in an effort to sell his widely-panned tariff proclamation, which will impose a “25 percent duty on steel and 10 percent charge on aluminum,” CNBC reports. Trump has promised to carve out exemptions for “our real friends.”

Watch the video below:

President Trump: “Your father ... is looking down, he’s very proud of you right now.”

Local steel worker union president: “Oh, he’s still alive.”

Trump: “Oh, he is? Then he’s even more proud of you.” pic.twitter.com/rLKIlMDzkr

— NBC News (@NBCNews) March 8, 2018