WASHINGTON — A Florida congresswoman is asking White House Chief of Staff John Kelly to apologize for making false claims about her while defending President Donald Trump's handling of condolences to a military family.

Democratic Rep. Frederica Wilson on Sunday called Kelly a "puppet of the president" and accused him of character assassination, escalating a political fight over Trump's call to the widow of a service member killed in the African nation of Niger. Wilson was speaking on MSNBC's "AM Joy."

Trump again jabbed back early Sunday, describing Wilson on Twitter as "the gift that keeps on giving for the Republican Party."

The fight began Tuesday when Trump told the widow that her husband "knew what he signed up for." Wilson was riding with the family and heard the call on speakerphone.