Trump starts day with new attacks on Cummings
Having spent Saturday lashing out against Rep. Elijah Cummings and other Democratic opponents, President Donald Trump began Sunday by attacking the Maryland Democrat again.
The president opened Sunday by tweeting: “Someone please explain to Nancy Pelosi, who was recently called racist by those in her own party, that there is nothing wrong with bringing out the very obvious fact that Congressman Elijah Cummings has done a very poor job for his district and the City of Baltimore.“
He added: “Just take... ....a look, the facts speak far louder than words! The Democrats always play the Race Card, when in fact they have done so little for our Nation’s great African American people. Now, lowest unemployment in U.S. history, and only getting better. Elijah Cummings has failed badly!“
Trump had attacked Cummings on Saturday with a series of tweets. “Cummings has done nothing but milk Baltimore dry, but the public is getting wise to the bad job that he is doing,” he said in one of them. In another, the president claimed: “His district is considered the Worst in the USA.”
The tweets about Cummings followed a pattern of scathing Trump attacks on minority members of Congress — from Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and her allies in recent weeks to Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) in the early days of his presidency. Trump’s weekend tweets particularly echoed his attacks on Lewis in January 2017:
“Congressman John Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart.”
Critics of Trump noted that his tweets about Cummings’ district did not give a full and accurate picture of life there. His district, for instance, has a higher per capita income and higher median home values than the national average.
Cummings, who was first elected in 1996, is the chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. His district is based in the city of Baltimore but also includes suburban areas, including much of Howard County.
“Mr. President, I go home to my district daily. Each morning, I wake up, and I go and fight for my neighbors. It is my constitutional duty to conduct oversight of the Executive Branch. But, it is my moral duty to fight for my constituents,” Cummings defended himself Saturday via Twitter.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also defended him, tweeting that he was “a champion in the Congress and the country for civil rights and economic justice, a beloved leader in Baltimore, and deeply valued colleague.“ The California Democrat added: “We all reject racist attacks against him and support his steadfast leadership.“
Trump followed his attacks Sunday on Cummings with some vitriol aimed at Pelosi:
“Speaking of failing badly, has anyone seen what is happening to Nancy Pelosi’s district in San Francisco,” he tweeted Sunday. “It is not even recognizeable lately. Something must be done before it is too late. The Dems should stop wasting time on the Witch Hunt Hoax and start focusing on our Country!“
