CBS News reports:
President Trump is not backing off of his salvos against black Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings and Baltimore. On Tuesday, the president told reporters on the White House South Lawn that residents of Baltimore are “living in hell.”
“Those people are living in hell in Baltimore,” Mr. Trump said, continuing his rant against the city just to the north. “They’re largely African-American … and they really appreciate what I’m doing, and they let me know it.”
Mr. Trump claimed, without evidence Tuesday, that “thousands” of people have let his administration know they’re “thankful” he’s calling attention to Baltimore, saying African-Americans are “happy as hell” he’s highlighting the “corruption” there.
RIGHT NOW: Protesters gathered outside Jamestown Beach Event Park as they wait for @realDonaldTrump to arrive at Jamestown Settlement. #13NewsNow pic.twitter.com/AiETB8Yozt
— Niko Clemmons 13News Now (@13nikoclemmons) July 30, 2019
TRUMP: “The African American people have been calling the White House. They have never been so happy as what a president has done.” pic.twitter.com/78IIdQKuuW
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 30, 2019
TRUMP: “I am the least racist person there is anywhere in the world … Al Sharpton — now he is a racist. What I’ve done for African Americans in two and a half years — no president has been able to do anything like it.”
(Abraham Lincoln could not be reached for comment.) pic.twitter.com/RFoLzG415y
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 30, 2019
It is probably obvious, but Trump’s claims that African-Americans are “happy as hell” with him is, generally, not at all true. He remains at 80+% disapproval among African-American voters.
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) July 30, 2019
Trump has periodically invented imaginary phone calls. The phone calls usually involve people thanking or praising him. These stories are a first cousin of the crying-backstage-grateful-burlyman stories. https://t.co/JK7Lvu1b3a
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) July 30, 2019