President Trump Calls Rep. Cummings 'Racist', Continues Criticizing Him, Baltimore
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — President Donald Trump continued his criticism of Rep. Elijah Cummings and Baltimore late Saturday night and throughout all of Sunday.
The president called the congressman "racist" and criticized his work in the district he represents that includes Baltimore. He also said his "radical 'oversight'" is a joke.
Trump lashed out at Cummings on Twitter, saying Cummings "has done a very poor job for his district and the City of Baltimore" and has "failed badly."
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Trump originally tweeted about Cummings and Baltimore Saturday morning, calling it "a disgusting, rat and rodent-infested mess" and demanding an investigation into Maryland's 7th congressional district.
Cummings' district includes parts of both Baltimore City and Baltimore County, along with a majority of Howard County.
While Trump continues to voice his criticism for the congressman and the City of Baltimore, many people are expressing support using the hashtag #WeAreBaltimore.
The tweets sparked an instant reaction from City leaders and lawmakers from around the country are also weighing in.
Several lawmakers took to the Sunday morning political talk shows to express their outrage over the President's attacks including 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders.
"It's unbelievable that we have a president of the united states who attacks American cities, and attacks Americans and attacks somebody who is a friend of mine. Elijah Cummings is one of the most decent members of the house of representatives. He fights every day to improve his community." Sanders said.
WJZ-TV has reached out to Cummings' office for a statement on Trump's latest tweets-- which came in response to Cummings' criticism of the conditions at the southern U.S. border expressed in a July 18 oversight committee hearing.
"None of us would have our children in that kind of position," Cummings said then.
Trump fired back, saying the border is clean, efficient and well run, just crowded. And went on to write, "Cummings' district is a disgusting, rat and rodent-infested mess,"
Baltimore Mayor Jack Young and other city leaders assembled to respond.
'Today We Stand United' | Mayor Young, Baltimore City Leaders Denounce President Trump's Tweets
"We cannot allow anyone to make those kinds of statements against the City of Baltimore," Mayor Young said. "We have problems just like any major city,"
CNN anchor and Baltimore native Victor Blackwell became emotional while reporting the president's latest tweets.
"The president says about Congressman Cummings' district that no human would want to live there. You know who did, Mr. President, I did." Blackwell said.
At the same time, OMB director Mick Mulvaney defended the president, saying that Cummings' statements about the southern border are misleading.
"Have we seen this type of reaction before, yes because he fights back when he feels like he's attacked, and what Mr. Cummings said this week is wrong," Mulvaney said.
Cummings directly appealed to the president, writing, "Mr. President, I go home to my district daily. Each morning I wake up, I go and fight for my neighbors. It is my moral duty to fight for my constituents." He said.
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg joined in tweeting, "Home to one of America's greatest universities and hospitals, home to hundreds of thousands of America's proudest people,"
Last year, Bloomberg donated more than a billion dollars to his alma mater- Johns Hopkins University.
