U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson was kicked off a Baltimore church’s property Wednesday after they tried to hold a press conference without the church’s permission.
Morning Star Baptist Church of Christ member Gregory Evans asked the HUD officials to move as they were setting up for the presser on a vacant lot, which he said the church owns and hopes to eventually turn into a parking lot.
“It’s nothing personal,” Mr. Evans said to The Baltimore Sun. “I didn’t know it was Secretary Carson. I just know there were a bunch of people over there that were taking over our site. And we said, ’Why are they here?’ They’ve not even asked for permission to be here.’”
Mr. Evans added the church has had problems with the lot in the past
After HUD officials moved the conference to a nearby alley, Dr. Carson used the church’s ousting as an example for how we’ve “sunken as a society.”
“We just have all this animosity all the time,” Mr. Carson said.”For instance, you guys know, you were set up on this property, and right here is this church that said: ’Get off our property.’ You know, a church? When we’re talking about helping the people. I mean, this is the level to which we have sunken as a society.”
“What I’m saying is, you know, we have a society in which people, instead of trying to be helpful, think only about themselves. That is a problem,” he added when asked for clarification.
Mr. Evans says they regularly do community outreach programs, providing food and clothes as well as addiction treatment and youth programs.
He added that President Trump’s HUD administration hasn’t done much to help the area.
Dr. Carson’s trip comes after Mr. Trump traded accusations of racism with Rep. Elijah Cummings, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, calling the city a “rat and rodent infested mess.” The president has accused Mr. Cummings and other city leaders of squandering billions in federal aid that was intended to help city residents.
— Dave Boyer contributed to this report.
• Bailey Vogt can be reached at bvogt@washingtontimes.com.
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