Former Attorney General Eric Holder Eric Himpton HolderThe Hill's Campaign Report: Trump's rally risk | Biden ramps up legal team | Biden hits Trump over climate policy Biden campaign forming 'special litigation' team ahead of possible voting battle Pompeo, Engel poised for battle in contempt proceedings MORE said Wednesday that President Trump "crossed a line" when he claimed that former President Obama didn't call the families of slain U.S. service members during his time as president.

"To imply that President Obama was not appropriately sensitive, was not appropriately involved, was something that I was simply not going to allow to go unaddressed," Holder, who served in the Obama administration, said during an interview with Jake Tapper on CNN's "The Lead."

"That made me mad in a way that few other things have," he continued.

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"Mr. President, you crossed the line there," Holder said. "And you know, I understand you've got a tough job. I generally hold my powder, but that was a line that you crossed."

Holder told CNN that he was also upset to learn that Trump had been disrespectful toward Myeshia Johnson, the widow of Army Sgt. La David Johnson, who was killed in an ambush in Niger nearly two weeks ago.

Trump on Wednesday pushed back on details of a call shared by a Democratic congresswoman who said that Trump told the widow that the slain soldier "knew what he signed up for."

"I'm distressed to hear that the family did not feel they were treated appropriately," Holder said. "Those interactions, in some ways, I think reveal you for who you are."

Trump claimed at the White House on Monday that Obama and "other presidents" did not make calls to the families of fallen soldiers, sparking backlash.

"So the traditional way, if you look at President Obama and other presidents, most of them didn't make calls, a lot of them didn't make calls. I like to call when it's appropriate, when I think I'm able to do it," Trump said.

Holder initially responded to Trump on Twitter, calling on the president to "stop the damn lying."

"Stop the damn lying — you’re the President," Holder tweeted late Monday. "I went to Dover AFB with 44 and saw him comfort the families of both the fallen military & DEA."