President Trump has tweeted that Rep. Elijah Cummings’ district in Baltimore 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.”
Our family moved from Baltimore to Salt Lake in 1991 after working and living there for 18 years. Baltimore is a vibrant and beautiful city with wonderful and hardworking people that celebrates its diversity, and we loved living there.
It does have problems of poverty, racism and redlining that have been institutional for decades that need to be addressed. In my opinion, Mr. Trump has decided that he has nothing to lose by criticizing Baltimore, and Maryland, as it is unlikely that he will get Maryland’s 10 electoral votes in 2020.
I think Trump should carefully consider that the problems in Baltimore are shared by Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit and Milwaukee and that without the electoral votes from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin, he has no chance of being reelected.
A criticism of Baltimore is also a criticism of these other great American cities that suffer from poverty and job loss that are certainly no better than after Mr. Trump’s election in 2016. I stand by Cummings continuing to provide appropriate congressional oversight and share my love of Baltimore to those being attacked.
Gary M. Oderda, Holladay
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