Last month, President Donald Trump made national headlines when he attacked Rep. Elijah Cummings’ (D-Md.) district as a “disgusting, rat and rodent-infested mess.”
On Wednesday, Cummings invited Trump to come see it.
“I want President Trump to come to my district. Oh God, I want him to come so bad,” Cummings, the chair of the House Oversight Committee, said during a luncheon at the National Press Club. “I want him to come and look at my entire city. I’ll ride with him for hours if he asked to.”
Cummings represents Maryland’s 7th District, which is mostly African American and includes about half of the city of Baltimore, most of Howard County and the parts of Baltimore County that have a Black majority. He said would show the president the work Maryland leaders have done despite the wealth disparity between Baltimore and Howard County.
“We work hard every day, but when you have the poorest of the poor, it is difficult,” Cummings said. “But at the same time, we have done some wonderful things.”
In July, after Cummings criticized the conditions at the U.S.-Mexico border, Trump tweeted that “if [Cummings] spent more time in Baltimore, maybe he could help clean up this very dangerous & filthy place.”
The president went on to make baseless allegations about corruption in the congressman’s district and appeared to mock the fact that his home was broken into.
Cummings said he had not spoken to the president because he “can’t get to him,” but noted that there are “many things” he would like to talk to him about when he does come to Maryland. They will be talking about results “that you all need to see,” he said.
Despite expressing pride in his own accomplishments, Cummings’ work has come under fire not only from Trump but also from Maryland’s Republican governor.
“I don’t believe you can put all the blame of Baltimore city on Elijah Cummings, but I also think he could do a lot more to help us,” Gov. Larry Hogan told Fox News on Aug. 1. Hogan said he didn’t like the president’s “angry attacks” on Cummings but said he hoped the silver lining of their fight would be to bring more attention to the city’s plight.
“I think it’s good that we’re paying attention to the problems in Baltimore,” Hogan said, “and I would like everybody from the president and the administration and Congress to work with us at the state level and with the folks in Baltimore city … to clean up the problem.”