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A6 U.S. NEWS
Monday 5 august 2019

Cummings urges Trump to ‘come to Baltimore’

By LISA MASCARO Marshall, a justice of the
AP Congressional Corre- Supreme Court, and Ta-Ne-
spondent hisi Coates, a noted black
BALTIMORE (AP) — Mary- scholar who testified re-
land Rep. Elijah Cummings cently in Congress on repa-
took the high road in invit- rations for slavery. The con-
ing President Donald Trump gressman also gave a nod
and other Americans to to his own family’s history,
visit Baltimore but declin- his parents arriving from a
ing to respond in kind to Southern state to build a
the barrage of presidential better life for their children,
tweets and comments dis- and his ascent from the
paraging him and the ma- community to law school
jority-black city he has long and the halls of Congress
represented. for two decades.
“We are a great commu- To residents, especially
nity,” Cummings, the chair- young people, he said, “Let
man of a powerful House no one define you.”
committee investigating Residents said they were
the administration, said heartened by the attention
Saturday in his first public being paid to Baltimore,
remarks about the contro- and they too urged the
versy as he participated White House to consider
in the opening of a small Congressman Elijah Cummings speaks at the grand opening of the McCullough Street Nature Play the way the president’s
neighborhood park near Space in West Baltimore on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2019. comments may land in a
his home. Associated Press community.
Community leaders and make the community bet- did not name but com- “There may well come a Jackie Cornish, a founder
residents gathered to cut ter. He noted the outpour- plained are run by Demo- time when impeachment of the Druid Heights com-
the ribbon on a pocket of ing of support he has re- crats. His comments were is appropriate,” he told munity development cor-
greenery and flowers, built ceived, the thousands of widely seen as a race-cen- reporters. But for now, he poration more than 40
from what had been a va- emails, and the presence tered attack on big cities said, he agrees with Pelosi’s years ago, said she hoped
cant lot often used as a at the event of leaders from with minority populations. approach and said that his Trump and Cummings
dumping ground for trash. the University of Maryland’s Cummings’ comments committee would continue could put their collective
“Come to Baltimore. Do medical center, founda- Saturday came at anoth- its investigations. “I’m trying power together and work
not just criticize us, but tions and businesses. He er pivotal juncture for the to be fair to him,” he said. for the good of the city.
come to Baltimore and I wore a hat and polo shirt of administration, as half of “That’s why we need to do While she feels the presi-
promise you, you will be Under Armour, the popular House Democrats now say our research.” dent has “disrespected our
welcomed,” he said. apparel maker headquar- they favor launching an im- Under sunny skies, with a congressman as well as
Cummings said he doesn’t tered in Baltimore. peachment inquiry against light breeze, the neighbor- disrespected our city,” she
have time for those who Asked directly by reporters Trump. It’s a threshold that hood situated in a historic also said: “We still respect
criticize the city where he afterward if there would pushes renewed focus on part of West Baltimore of- our president. As long as
grew up but wants to hear be a meeting with Trump, the issue, even though fered another view of a he’s president, we’re trying
from people willing to help the congressman said he’d House Speaker Nancy Pe- city that struggled long to lift him up.”
love to see Trump in the losi has declined to move before Trump’s disparag- Amos Gaskins, who lives
city. ahead with proceedings ing tweets, a once-gilded across the street from the
“The president is welcome unless there is a greater American seaport now park and stepped out to
to our district,” he said. groundswell, including in confronted with other greet Cummings, said the
In a weeklong series of at- public opinion. problems. congressman has been
tacks, Trump called the Cummings, whose Over- Leaders from the commu- through a lot and added,
Baltimore district a “rat and sight and Reform Commit- nity spoke of the region’s “He’s doing a great job, a
rodent infested mess” and tee is one of the six House historic segregation in hous- beautiful job.”
complained about Cum- committees investigating ing and how that legacy “We’re not what you call a
mings, whose district in- the Trump administration, impacted neighborhoods. dirty city and a dirty peo-
cludes key parts of the city. said Saturday he was not Cummings recounted the ple,” Gaskins said. “Donald
The president widened his yet ready to support im- city’s famous residents, in- Trump shouldn’t have said
attack on other cities he peachment. cluding the late Thurgood that. That’s uncalled for.”q