Sep 8, 2019

Trump to visit Baltimore weeks after calling it a "rodent infested mess"

Ursula Perano

Trump himself. — Photo: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images

Weeks after calling Baltimore a "disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess," President Trump is set to visit the city on Thursday to meet with congressional Republicans, the White House confirmed to the Washington Post.

The big picture: In a July Twitter tirade against Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), Trump said Baltimore — a majority black area of Cummings' Maryland district — is a place where "no human being would want to live." The attacks prompted immediate backlash from Democrats and members of the Baltimore community. Perhaps most notably, the Baltimore Sun published a scathing op-ed on Trump's remarks titled, "Better to have a few rats than to be one."

Maryland's Republican Gov. Larry Hogan also called the comments "outrageous," while others on social media rallied against the characterization with the hashtag #WeAreBaltimore.
The city had already been chosen as the venue for House Republicans' 3-day biennial retreat before Trump's attacks. According to the Post, Republican lawmakers and aides "weren’t sure the president would want to attend."

What to watch: Trump's presence is likely to spark protests from residents still angered by the remarks, placing visiting GOP lawmakers at the center of controversy.

Go deeper: Trump's premeditated racism is central to his 2020 strategy

Add Axios on Google

Trump to visit Baltimore weeks after calling it a "rodent infested mess"

What to read next