President Trump on Monday criticized the Rev. Al Sharpton, saying the political commentator “Hates Whites & Cops” and is “looking for a score” after Mr. Trump attacked Baltimore on Twitter as a “rat and rodent infested mess.”
Responding to a picture of Mr. Sharpton who said he arrived in Baltimore, Mr. Trump tweeted, “I have known Al for 25 years. Went to fights with him & Don King, always got along well. He ’loved Trump!’ He would ask me for favors often. Al is a con man, a troublemaker, always looking for a score. Just doing his thing. Must have intimidated Comcast/NBC. Hates Whites & Cops!”
“Al Sharpton would always ask me to go to his events. He would say, ’it’s a personal favor to me.’ Seldom, but sometimes, I would go. It was fine. He came to my office in [Trump Tower] during the presidential campaign to apologize for the way he was talking about me. Just a conman at work,” he said.
The president then roped Mr. Sharpton into his ongoing attacks on Baltimore and Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, who is the chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, threatening that if Democrats continue to support him and a “Squad” of liberal congresswomen of color, who he told to go back to their home countries, it could cost them in 2020.
“Baltimore, under the leadership of Elijah Cummings, has the worst Crime Statistics in the Nation. 25 years of all talk, no action! So tired of listening to the same old Bull…Next, Reverend Al will show up to complain & protest. Nothing will get done for the people in need. Sad,” Mr. Trump tweeted.
“If the Democrats are going to defend the Radical Left “Squad” and King Elijah’s Baltimore Fail, it will be a long road to 2020. The good news for the Dems is that they have the Fake News Media in their pocket,” he said.
Mr. Sharpton responded to the president’s tweets on Instagram, posting a photo of Mr. Trump meeting with him and other civil rights leaders.
“This is a 2006 photo of Donald Trump at the National Action Network Convention in NY. In the photo he’s telling The Godfather of Soul, James Brown and Rev. Jesse Jackson, why despite the fact I marched on him throughout the years he respected my work. Now I’m a con man and troublemaker, that’s why he came to my events? You are right Mr. President, I’m going to keep making good trouble against racism and people like you that normalize it,” Mr. Sharpton posted.
The president has drawn controversy for his attacks on Baltimore as a “rodent infested mess” and also for going after Mr. Cummings.
When people called the president’s attacks racist, he doubled down Sunday on Twitter.
“There is nothing racist in stating plainly what most people already know, that Elijah Cummings has done a terrible job for the people of his district, and of Baltimore itself. Dems always play the race card when they are unable to win with facts. Shame!” Mr. Trump tweeted.
• Bailey Vogt can be reached at bvogt@washingtontimes.com.
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