US President Donald Trump has once again provoked backlash over his “racist attacks” on an another prominent African-American lawmaker, amid the ongoing criticism of his comments about four congresswomen.
Trump on Twitter Saturday called Rep. Elijah Cummings “a brutal bully” and described his district as “a disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess.”
....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
House speaker Nancy Pelosi decried Trump’s “racist” remarks about the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, saying the Democratic lawmaker is “a beloved leader in Baltimore.”
.@RepCummings is a champion in the Congress and the country for civil rights and economic justice, a beloved leader in Baltimore, and deeply valued colleague. We all reject racist attacks against him and support his steadfast leadership. #ElijahCummingsIsAPatriot https://t.co/2LG8AuQrHh
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) July 27, 2019
Trump’s attack followed Cummings’ statement in which he described the treatment of migrant children in US facilities “government-sponsored child abuse.”
"What does that mean? What does that mean when a child is sitting in their own feces, can't take a shower? Come on man,” Cummings yelled.
Cummings also criticized acting Homeland Security chief Kevin McAleenan for claiming the department was doing its “level best” when it comes to the humanitarian crisis at the border.
Trump had described detention centers at the border as “clean, efficient and well run” before saying “no human being would want to live” in Cummings’ district.
“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!" Trump said.
This comes after the Republican president posted a series of racist tweets two weeks ago, calling on four lawmakers, who are some of her fiercest critics, to "go back" to the "totally broken and crime infested places from which they came" and fix them before criticizing the way America is governed.
The lawmakers are Representatives Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts.
Ocasio-Cortez, Tlaib and Pressley are natural-born US citizens, and only Omar was born in Somalia and immigrated to the US when she was younger.
Trump’s remarks have been met with condemnation from Democrats and some Republicans. The House of Representatives has also passed a resolution condemning the comments.