Democrats and media figures were quick to label President Donald Trump a racist after he tweeted about Baltimore being a “disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess.”
Trump’s Saturday tweets about Baltimore — most of which is represented by Rep. Elijah Cummings — came more than a week after the Democratic lawmaker berated acting Department of Homeland Security Sec. Kevin McAleenan during a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing about the border. It also, as ABC reporter Ben Gittleson pointed out, came not long after a “Fox & Friends” segment on the city.
Trump’s attack on Elijah Cummings this morning followed a Fox News segment an hour earlier in which a Maryland Republican strategist portrayed West Baltimore as a dirty, dangerous place where residents told her Cummings rarely visits https://t.co/TyHhWInV9X
— Ben Gittleson (@bgittleson) July 27, 2019
Trump used Twitter to call Cummings “a brutal bully, shouting and screaming at the great men & women of Border Patrol about conditions at the Southern Border, when actually his Baltimore district is FAR WORSE and more dangerous.”
Cummings fired back at Trump several hours later by insisting he goes to work for his constituents daily, then switched the subject to rising drug prices. Meanwhile, Democrats and media figures got busy labeling the president a “racist.” (RELATED: ‘Language Is Not A Race’ — Tucker Explodes When Guest Paints Trump As ‘Wildly Racist’ For Complimenting ICE Agent’s English)
Absolutely captivated by @VictorBlackwell‘s reflection; calling out Trump for using “infested” when describing people of color & Victor emotionally talking about #Baltimore being where he was raised.
We salute you Brother Blackwell.
Listen, read and be moved by every word. https://t.co/78QWpFudhH
— Michael Blake (@MrMikeBlake) July 27, 2019
Trump, who recently attacked four congresswoman of color because he said they trash-talked America, calls one of America’s oldest cities “a disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess” https://t.co/mm2bLBJQBq
— Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) July 27, 2019
What’s most disgusting is Trump issuing order to target critics, minorities, politicians for abuse, because of their ethnicity. It became the most visible with @AOC @ImranKhanPTI @RashidaTlaib , but it doesn’t end with them.
— Ksenija Pavlovic McAteer (@ksenijapavlovic) July 27, 2019
There are beautiful suburban stretches within this district and some fine urban areas. But since Elijah Cummings is an African American, @realDonaldTrump seems to assume he represents a district with nothing but rot and crime. What do you call someone like that? https://t.co/9yXVm6Gjkg
— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) July 27, 2019
This seems real racist and not cool pic.twitter.com/jp321ZyoVj
— Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) July 27, 2019
“No human being would want to live there.” Imagine the reaction from the right-wing outrage machine if @IlhanMN had made that comment about a slice of America. They quite literally would tell her to “go back.” https://t.co/f1jFULnjqm
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) July 27, 2019
“no human being would want to live there,” Trump says of majority-black Baltimore district represented by black Congressman https://t.co/DVrjXMOetw
— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) July 27, 2019
Meanwhile, President Trump’s supporters, at least on the issue of whether or not West Baltimore is a good place to live, pushed back on the notion that it is automatically racist to criticize a place that’s run by Democrats.
Trump is being called a Liar & Racist for saying West Baltimore is poorly ran by Democrats.
Well here is a video of West Baltimore and according to Democrats this is beautiful site. They like to see black people living in filth.
pic.twitter.com/rzkbbPQj8R— Terrence K. Williams (@w_terrence) July 27, 2019
This morning I woke up believing that there would never be a level of Trump Derangrment Syndrome that could convince people that West Baltimore is a great place and Elijah Cummings has actually helped his constituents outside of photo ops for himself…
Life comes at you fast.
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) July 27, 2019
I grew up in Baltimore and went to law school in Baltimore… watching people try to say West Baltimore isn’t one of the most violent, run down places in America is a joke.
Trump is telling the truth. If you don’t believe him, go there and stroll around for a bit.
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) July 27, 2019
White liberals furious that President Donald Trump said West Baltimore is rat infested. He was kind. You want to be furious? Fine. Go live there for a month. If you get out alive tell us about it.
— Carmine Sabia (@CarmineSabia) July 27, 2019
Never heard or seen you speak on Baltimore’s issues. I didn’t even know you rep Baltimore.
I thought you Rep illegals at the border!
30 years and you have done nothing for your own people.
Get your ish together before talking about Trump.
— Brandon Tatum (@TheOfficerTatum) July 27, 2019
Just spent three days with a couple from Baltimore who talked about nothing but what a repulsive hellhole their city has become, only to check the news and find out people are outraged about Trump stating the same thing. Sums up our media perfectly.
— Jesse Kelly (@JesseKellyDC) July 27, 2019
Dude, have you been to Baltimore? Especially West Baltimore?
It looks like a nuke went off with zombies roaming the streets.
How is Trump wrong? https://t.co/zNTtPoQvWJ
— John Cardillo (@johncardillo) July 27, 2019
I’ve spent a lot of time in Baltimore. Much of it looks like something out of a zombie movie. Even the nice parts can be dangerous. The bad parts are so bad that you’re better off not stopping at stop signs. Trump is right. Drive through the city sometime and see for yourself.
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) July 27, 2019