Donald Trump Doubles Down With Fresh Attacks On Elijah Cummings And Baltimore
President Donald Trump started his Sunday early by renewing his attacks on Congressman Elijah Cummings and his district. On Saturday the president had picked a fight with the congressman by decrying the lawmaker’s criticisms of the conditions at the U.S.-Mexico border, and by branding his district as “a disgusting, rat and rodent infected mess,” on Twitter.
Cummings called the treatment of migrant children at detention facilities “government sponsored child abuse,” and criticized Trump’s acting Homeland Security chief Kevin McAleenan.
Without offering evidence, Trump’s Saturday tweet accused the lawmaker of neglecting his district and of unspecified corruption, which the president said should be investigated.
The fresh batch of early-morning tweets on Sunday was full of new criticisms. Trump said that Cummings “has failed badly!” and saying that Democrats “always play the race card.” The president denied allegations that his comments on the matter are “racist.”
Trump then turned his sights to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s district in the San Francisco area after she came to Cumming’s defense.
“Speaking of failing badly, has anyone seen what is happening to Nancy Pelosi’s district in San Francisco. It is not even recognizeable [sic] lately,” wrote Trump in an early morning tweet.
On Saturday, Pelosi, a Baltimore native, defended the Congressman as a champion “for civil rights and economic justice, a beloved leader in Baltimore, and deeply valued colleague.”
Baltimore Sun columnist David Zurawik: "You cannot remain silent in the face of such hatred and racism coming from the White House, even as you know you are letting the president force you to focus on him, him, him." https://t.co/1n6KnG3mGL
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) July 28, 2019
Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney told Fox News Sunday that the president’s comments were not racist. Mulvaney said they were merely responses to Cummings’ criticism of conditions at migrant detention centers at the southern border.
“When the president hears lies like that, he’s going to fight back,” Mulvaney said. “It has absolutely zero to do with race. This is what the president does. He fights, and he’s not wrong to do so.”
“Elijah Cummings has had his chance to address it (crime & conditions in Baltimore) for decades, and he hasn’t gotten it done.” @PeteHegseth @foxandfriends How can he get it done when he just wants to use his Oversight Committee to hurt innocent people and divide our Country!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 28, 2019
Just before the President’s tweets on Saturday, Fox & Friends aired a segment about Cummings and some of the areas of Baltimore in his district. The show included a video depicting piles of trash, dilapidated buildings, and other poor conditions. The host Jedediah Bila made a plea to the congressman to clean it up, according to CNN.
The Baltimore Sun released an explosive editorial on Saturday night following Trump’s tweets, saying that it was “better to have some vermin living in your neighborhood than to be one.”
The Twitter hashtag #WeAreBaltimore has been trending, reported The Inquisitr, showing thousands of tweets from locals defending their hometown.
While Trump has been critical of many Democrats, some of his harshest comments have been aimed at minority lawmakers, including the four women known as “The Squad.” The president is waging a relentless campaign against the four first-term female congresswomen, branding them as anti-American.
