Donald Trump faces wave of criticism over 'bigoted and racist' attack on Baltimore
Donald Trump faced a chorus of criticism on Monday from high profile figures including the Rev Al Sharpton and the mayor of Baltimore over his racist attacks on Democratic congressman Elijah Cummings.
Addressing a press conference in Baltimore, Baptist minister and activist Sharpton accused Trump of attacking the city in “the most bigoted and racist way”, adding that the president “has a particular venom for blacks and people of color”.
It comes after the president claimed on Saturday that Cummings’s congressional district, which covers much of Baltimore, was “a disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess” and alleged it was “the worst run and most dangerous [district] anywhere in the United States”.
Sharpton said the Monday conference had been planned a month ago to discuss falling levels of homeownership among black people.
At the time, he said: “Little did I know that Mr Trump was going to, on the eve of this, attack the congressman from this city. And not only the congressman, but the people of this city, in the most bigoted and racist way. He attacked everybody.
“I know Donald Trump, he is not mature enough to take criticism, he can’t help it. He’s like a child. Somebody says something, he reacts. He’s thin skinned and not really matured that well.”
He added: “But he has a particular venom for blacks and people of color. He doesn’t refer to any of his other opponents or critics as ‘infested’. He does not attack their districts.”
He said Cummings is “a respected and well-regarded member of Congress”, adding: “For him [Trump] to be angry at Mr Cummings because Mr Cummings has the moral standing to question how migrant children are being treated at the border is an abomination to me.”
Earlier in the day, Trump also attacked Sharpton, branding him “a con man, a troublemaker, always looking for a score” and claiming he “hates whites and cops” on Twitter, despite a decades-long relationship between the two.
Sharpton shared a picture of Trump at a 2006 NAN (National Action Network) convention where he says the president was telling James Brown and Jesse Jackson about his respect for the reverend’s work. Adding: “Different tune now.”
At the press conference, Sharpton said: “Yes, I make trouble for bigots”. Adding: “As far as me being a conman, if he really thought I was a conman, he’d be nominating me for his cabinet.”
Former chairman of the Republican National Committee, Michael Steele, who also spoke at the press conference, addressed Trump directly, saying: “Mr President, your reprehensible comments are like water off a duck’s back when it comes to this community.”
He suggested that Trump visit Baltimore and talk to people rather than tweeting about them. “Mr President, come on down,” he said. “Put the tweet down, brother, and show up.”
Ahead of the press conference, 2020 Democratic candidate Kamala Harris praised Sharpton on Twitter, saying he has “spent his life fighting for what’s right and working to improve our nation, even in the face of hate.” She added: “It’s shameful, yet unsurprising that Trump would continue to attack those who have done so much for our country.”
The hashtag #WeAreBaltimore has been trending on Twitter, with fans and residents using it to share their love of the city.
Mayor of Baltimore, Bernard C Jack Young, condemned Trump’s unpresidential behaviour and accused him of attempting to racially divide America.
“He should be uniting this country instead of racially dividing us,” he told CNN on Monday morning.
“I mean, a president has never in my lifetime exhibited this type of behavior. He has alienated our allies around the country, I mean what else is he going to do?”
Grouping the attack on Cummings and Trump’s recent verbal racist assault on “the squad” – in which he said progressive Democratic congresswomen Ayanna Pressley, Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashid Tlaib should “go back” to the countries they came from – he called out the president’s targeting of public figures of color.
“We have a pattern now attacking people of color. I mean if you want to help us, help us. Don’t talk about us. Send the resources that we need to rebuild America … But what he’s doing is he’s making America the laughing stock of the world,” he said.
Young said the president has not been in touch since the mayor took office in May and called on assistance for the city’s “ageing infrastructure”.
As well as infrastructure issues, violent crime is a major issue in the city. There were 309 homicides last year, the fourth year in a row where numbers reached over 300. There have also been problems with policing. The 2015 death of Freddie Gray, the 25-year-old African American man who sustained fatal injured in police custody, sparked unrest and rioting in the city.
It has also faced problems with its leadership. Before Young was appointed mayor in May, after a stint as acting mayor, his predecessor Catherine Pugh was forced to resign amid a scandal over profits from children’s books that she had written.
Young said Baltimore is a “poor city” with problems but that they were like those of other big cities. “We have our challenges, just like any major city in America and because of the constant reduction in funding for cities like Baltimore.”
The latest outcry over Trump’s comments comes after multiple figures – including Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren, whose anger was palpable as she spoke in defence of “one of my dearest friends”, House speaker Nancy Pelosi and Dominic West, star of The Wire, the hit tv series set in Baltimore– spoke out over the weekend.