President Donald Trump continued to use his Twitter platform Sunday to defend himself after he drew fire from critics for angry comments previously tweeted about Maryland Congressman Elijah Cummings and the city of Baltimore. The president's insistence on insulting the metropolis ultimately resulted in the hashtag #TrumpIsARat trending on social media.
Trump initially published his thoughts on Cummings and Baltimore early Saturday morning in a series of tweets where he referred to the Democrat — the chair of the House Oversight Committee — as a "brutal bully" and that the city he represents was a "disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess."
Trump's comments on Baltimore appeared to be prompted by an early morning segment aired on Fox News' Fox & Friends where Baltimore County Republican Central Committee and Fox News commentator Kimberly Klacik discussed the state of the city while the network aired videos she had taken of trash piled up in some Baltimore neighborhoods.
....As proven last week during a Congressional tour, the Border is clean, efficient & well run, just very crowded. Cumming District is a disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess. If he spent more time in Baltimore, maybe he could help clean up this very dangerous & filthy place
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 27, 2019
Why is so much money sent to the Elijah Cummings district when it is considered the worst run and most dangerous anywhere in the United States. No human being would want to live there. Where is all this money going? How much is stolen? Investigate this corrupt mess immediately!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 27, 2019
The president's comments quickly drew scorn from members of congress, including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelsoi and Reps. Rashida Tilaib and Ilhan Omar, two congresswomen who were previously the subject of tweets were Trump urged the two women, along with Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley to "go back" to their countries. Only Omar, now a naturalized U.S. citizen, was born outside of the United States.
On Sunday, Trump used Twitter to both defend himself for his previous statement and to dismiss those who have been critical of him, saying, "There is nothing racist in stating plainly what most people already know, that Elijah Cummings has done a terrible job for the people of his district, and of Baltimore itself. Dems always play the race card when they are unable to win with facts. Shame!"
There is nothing racist in stating plainly what most people already know, that Elijah Cummings has done a terrible job for the people of his district, and of Baltimore itself. Dems always play the race card when they are unable to win with facts. Shame!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 28, 2019
However, The Baltimore Sun published an editorial this weekend in defense of its city's reputation, titled Better to have a few rats than to be one, in response to Trump's tweets.
In the editorial, the staff lashed out at the president for his words, which read in part, "while we would not sink to name-calling in the Trumpian manner — or ruefully point out that he failed to spell the congressman's name correctly (it's Cummings, not Cumming) — we would tell the most dishonest man to ever occupy the Oval Office, the mocker of war heroes, the gleeful grabber of women's private parts, the serial bankrupter of businesses, the useful idiot of Vladimir Putin and the guy who insisted there are 'good people' among murderous neo-Nazis that he's still not fooling most Americans into believing he's even slightly competent in his current post. Or that he possesses a scintilla of integrity. Better to have some vermin living in your neighborhood than to be one."
Something is wrong when you cuddle up to murderers like Kim Jong-Un, MBS, and Vladimir Putin, but you go on a 2-day racist rant against an AMERICAN like Rep. Elijah Cummings.
— BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) July 28, 2019
Jared Kushner owns 170 rat-filled properties in Baltimore.
The Baltimore Sun is right:#TrumpIsARat pic.twitter.com/HmUGV5qFpY
donald might as well have a ring in his nose bc he's being led around by Fox and that's pretty evident. #TrumpIsARat
— Patricia Farrell, Ph.D. (@drpatfarrell) July 28, 2019
Oh, good Lord! Disgusting!
— Belligerent Man (@BelligerentMan) July 28, 2019
Why doesn’t @realDonaldTrump quit the racist attacks on Baltimore and clean up his restaurant?
Who would want to eat there? No one! #TrumpIsARat #TrumpIsARacist #WeAreBaltimore https://t.co/cT5ysR1g1r
Words definitely do matter, what this ignoramus of a president is doing to his country and saying about the people he claims to care about is nothing short of disgusting. Surely to god he cannot be allowed to govern much longer! #TrumpIsARat https://t.co/FU60O5NLXy
— Matthew Doherty (@Matthew210387) July 28, 2019
If you've been president for 3 years, how can you criticize any city under your pervue?
— Alex Cole (@acnewsitics) July 28, 2019
What valid POTUS would ever rag on their own cities and citizens, but a Fascist?
Obama is still loved and respected worldwide, most people think #TrumpIsARat
While some users used the hashtag to criticize the president, supporters replied to Trump's tweet to applaud him for the job he's doing or to agree with sentiments previously tweeted.
Sad but true - the underprivileged Americans of Baltimore deserve so much better yet all modern day Dems care about is more billions of dollars of American taxpayers money for criminal illegal aliens #WakeUpAmerica #EnoughIsEnough #DemocratsAreDestroyingAmerica
— Frances Barrera (@FranBarreraReal) July 28, 2019
This corrupt Cummings needs to leave and go to jail for what he has done to the people of Baltimore
— Kall (@Kall558) July 28, 2019
Thank you President Trump! You are a tremendous person. Fighting poverty. Going to church every Sunday. Praying to God, because you are a Godly Man. Stock market soaring! The Trump family will surely rule over us for the next thousand years!#TRUMP3024 📈#Christians4Trump 🇺🇸
— Anthony Cornrod (@TWIT_ANTHONY) July 28, 2019
Democrats destroyed Baltimore along with LA, San Francisco, Detroit and Chicago.
— Aaaron Jones (@SwampDog4614) July 28, 2019
Keep voting for Democrats and this will be all of America.
Opportunist like @RepCummings and others mainly Democrat officeholders use the color of their skin to shield themselves from public scrutiny and accountability. Democrats always label and accuse everything and everyone under the sun of being racist. https://t.co/WdjoHedn4f
— Ray (@Rayp1971) July 28, 2019
