The saga of ex-Baltimore mayor Catherine Pugh is coming to a close as the disgraced former official plans to plead guilty to perjury.
Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/catherine-pugh-former-baltimore-mayor-plead-guilty-perjury">reported</a> that Pugh “is expected to enter the guilty plea to the misdemeanor charge at a June 19 hearing in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court, said State Prosecutor Charlton Howard.”
“As indicated in the order of the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court scheduling a plea hearing on June 19th, I anticipate Ms. Pugh will enter a guilty plea on that date,” Howard wrote. “Of course, Ms. Pugh may change her mind prior to, or during the course of, the June 19th hearing, as is the right of every criminal defendant.”
Pugh pleaded guilty last year to federal conspiracy and tax evasion charges over a scheme involving a children’s book she published herself called “Healthy Holly.” She was sentenced to three years in prison.
“The perjury charge relates to Pugh’s failure to disclose her business interest in Healthy Holly, LLC on her financial disclosure forms when she was a Maryland state senator,” Fox reported.
As The Daily Wire’s James Barrett previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/federal-prosecutors-recommend-hard-time-for-ex-baltimore-mayor-reveal-new-details-on-childrens-book-scandal">reported</a>, a sentencing memorandum filed in Pugh’s case accused her “of being a ‘scammer’ guilty of a multiple years of fraud, tax evasion, cover-ups and ‘brazen lies to the public’ in order to personally profit — and all in the name of ‘children’s health.’”
Pugh used her power as the mayor to sell her books through contracts with corporations looking to gain or maintain a government contract as well as city and state contractors.
“The chronology of events since 2011, comprising Pugh’s seven-year scheme to defraud, multiple years of tax evasion, election fraud, and attempted cover-ups, including brazen lies to the public, clearly establishes the deliberateness with which she pursued financial and political gain without a second thought about how it was harming the public’s trust,” the memorandum said.
The Baltimore Sun <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/politics/bs-md-ci-cr-pugh-sentence-sought-20200213-i5ljpuivxzf4ngnkbya2qsxnti-story.html">reported</a> at the time that the memorandum “outlined her efforts to conceal her dealings, including lying to FBI agents who came to her house to seize her cellphone.”
When Pugh was sentenced to three years in prison for her schemes, she was also “ordered to pay $411,948 in restitution and to forfeit $669,688, including property in Baltimore and $17,800 from her Committee to Re-elect Catherine Pugh,” <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ex-baltimore-mayor-apologizes-over-children-s-book-scam-sentencing-n1144286">NBC News</a> reported.
“Among the accusations is Pugh’s failure to disclose book deals worth hundreds of thousands to the Senate before becoming mayor, among them her $500,000 deal with the University of Maryland Medical System, for which she served on its volunteer board,” the Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/federal-prosecutors-recommend-hard-time-for-ex-baltimore-mayor-reveal-new-details-on-childrens-book-scandal">reported</a>.
At her sentencing earlier this year, Pugh released a 13-minute video where she apologized for her crimes, Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/baltimore-ex-mayor-releases-apology-video-ahead-of-thursday-sentencing-i-really-messed-up">reported</a>.
“I accept total responsibility. I pled guilty and I’m sorry. I don’t know any other words that could be strong. I am so sorry,” Pugh said.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Catherine Pugh

Ex-Baltimore Mayor Will Reportedly Plead Guilty To Perjury

Baltimore

Crime

Despite one pastor already being arrested in Florida and some cities <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bill-de-blasio-threatens-to-permanently-close-nyc-churches-if-they-dont-comply-with-social-distancing">threatening</a> to permanently close down churches who offer services amid mandated lockdowns, a prominent pastor in Baltimore says he will continue to open his church&#8217;s doors to congregants to worship. The pastor&#8217;s vow to keep offering Sunday services comes even after police showed up to shut down the last one.
<div class="crd clln--it" data-type="text">
<div class=" crd--cnt ">
&#8220;The Rev. Alvin Gwynn Sr. said he was delivering a sermon Sunday to 10 worshipers when four patrol cars containing &#8216;eight or nine officers&#8217; pulled up in front of the Friendship Baptist Church and several tried to enter the building,&#8221; the <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/bs-md-ci-pastor-to-hold-services-20200331-sso3qw7vmncnjmlgbptewc3xhy-story.html">Baltimore Sun</a> reports. &#8220;Gwynn, the longtime senior pastor of the church on Loch Raven Boulevard, said security guards prevented the officers’ entry until he had finished his sermon.&#8221;
</div>
</div>
<div class="crd clln--it" data-type="text">
<div class=" crd--cnt ">
“You should have seen it, man, it looked like a police raid on a drug deal,” said Rev. Gwynn, 74, president of the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Metropolitan Baltimore, which represents some 50 churches in the area.
</div>
</div>
<div class="desktop-nativo mobile-yieldmo inline-ad " data-inline-ad-count="2">
<div id="f0zdWsRoD9nUUr" class="wrapper clearfix full pb-feature pb-layout-item pb-f-ads-nativo" data-pb-name="Nativo Ad" data-pb-curated="curated" data-pb-id="unnamed-feature">
<div id="5746" class="trb_ar_nt">
<div class="crd clln--it" data-type="text">
<div class=" crd--cnt ">
According to a Baltimore Police Department incident report, Lt. Suzanne Fries ordered the officers to &#8220;shut down the gathering&#8221; but shortly after arriving, &#8220;the church service ended and the crowd dispersed.&#8221;
Gwynn maintains that he is following the federal and state guidelines by limiting his services to just 10 people and making sure they keep 6 feet apart. Despite the shutdown threat, Gwynn says he is going to continue to offer congregants a chance to worship at a first come, first serve basis, the Sun reports.
On Monday, Maryland&#8217;s governor issued a state-wide &#8220;stay-at-home&#8221; order effective that evening. &#8220;We are no longer asking or suggesting that Marylanders stay at home. We are directing them to do so,&#8221; Gov. Larry Hogan (R) announced during a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/maryland-goes-into-total-lockdown-following-increase-in-coronavirus-cases">press conference</a> Monday. &#8220;No Maryland resident should be leaving their home unless it is for an essential job or for an essential reason, such as obtaining food or medicine, seeking medical attention or for other necessary purposes.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_100044" style="width: 610px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-100044" class="wp-image-100044" src="https://editorial.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Larry-Hogan-300x180.jpg" alt="Maryland Governor Larry Hogan greets Baltimore police dressed in riot gear the morning after citywide riots following the funeral of Freddie Gray, on April 28, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland. Gray, 25, was arrested for possessing a switch blade knife April 12 outside the Gilmor Houses housing project on Baltimore's west side. According to his attorney, Gray died a week later in the hospital from a severe spinal cord injury he received while in police custody. (Photo by Mark Makela/Getty Images)" width="600" height="360" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/04/Larry-Hogan-300x180.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/04/Larry-Hogan-960x576.jpg 960w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/04/Larry-Hogan-768x461.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/04/Larry-Hogan.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" />Mark Makela/Getty Images</div>
The report on Gwynn follows another incident involving a prominent pastor down in Florida who has continued to offer services, but reportedly without the restrictions on numbers and other social distancing measures. His popular church &#8220;even offered bus transportation for those services&#8221; and live-streamed the services, <a href="https://www.fox13news.com/news/tampa-megachurch-pastor-arrested-after-leading-packed-services-despite-safer-at-home-orders">Fox 13</a> Tampa Bay reported.
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
&#8220;Pastor Howard-Browne, 58, was arrested in Hernando County and charged on misdemeanor charges of unlawful assembly and violation of a public health emergency order,&#8221; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pastor-of-large-church-arrested-for-leading-packed-services-despite-social-distancing-orders">The Daily Wire</a> reported Monday. &#8220;Sheriff Chad Chronister said during a press conference that the church had access to technology that allowed them to broadcast their church services live to their church members. Chronister said that officers had talked to Howard-Browne twice on Friday and warned him that by holding in-person church services that he was creating a &#8216;dangerous environment.'&#8221;
Howard-Browne was released on bond about an hour after being booked.
&#8220;I think it’s unfortunate that the pastor here is hiding behind the First Amendment,&#8221; said State Attorney Andrew Warren at a press conference Monday. &#8220;One, it’s absolutely clear that emergency orders like this are constitutional and valid. Second of all, leaders from our faith-based community across this country have embraced the importance of social distancing.&#8221;
But critics say that authorities are <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/walsh-pastors-are-being-arrested-for-holding-worship-services-this-is-not-health-and-safety-this-is-tyranny">taking things too far</a> and squashing constitutional rights amid the crisis.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/d-c-mayor-threatens-jail-time-for-violating-stay-at-home-order-aclu-responds-with-one-question">D.C. Mayor Threatens Jail Time For Violating Stay-At-Home Order; ACLU Responds With One Question</a>

Rev. Dr. Alvin Gwynn, Sr.

Baltimore Pastor Vows To Continue Services Despite Police Threat, Another Pastor’s Arrest

Florida

Maryland

Religion

On Wednesday, after seven people were shot in Baltimore on Tuesday night, Baltimore Mayor Jack Young pleaded with residents to stop shooting each other so there would be beds available for victims of the coronavirus.
On Wednesday, Baltimore reported a fifth person who has been infected with the virus. The Baltimore Sun <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/bs-md-baltimore-young-coronavirus-20200318-omrapgfsijcibhj6ghbnm5hdbu-story.html">reported</a>, &#8220;The five confirmed cases in Baltimore involve a person in their 60s, a person in their 70s and three people in their 20s, said health commissioner Dr. Letitia Dzirasa. All are in &#8216;good to stable condition.&#8217;”
Young stated, “I want to reiterate how completely unacceptable the level of violence is that we have seen recently. We will not stand for mass shootings and an increase in crime. For those of you who want to continue to shoot and kill people of this city, we’re not going to tolerate it. We’re going to come after you and we’re going to get you,” as <a href="https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2020/03/18/we-need-those-beds-baltimore-mayor-urges-people-to-put-down-guns-after-violence-continues-during-covid-19-pandemic/">CBS Baltimore</a> reported.
Young continued, “I want to reiterate how completely unacceptable the level of violence is that we have seen recently. We will not stand for mass shootings and an increase in crime.” He added, “We cannot clog up our hospitals and their beds with people that are being shot senselessly because we’re going to need those beds for people infected with the coronavirus. And it could be your mother, your grandmother or one of your relatives. So take that into consideration.”
CBS Baltimore <a href="https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2020/03/17/eutaw-street-shooting-baltimore-latest/">reported</a> of the Tuesday shooting:
<blockquote>Police said an officer confronted a man with a rifle Tuesday night after he allegedly shot seven people. Seven people were shot Tuesday evening in the Madison Park neighborhood, according to police. The suspect had a rifle and was dressed in all black with a ski mask. The officer who was patrolling the microzone confronted the man after he fired into a crowd gathered at the corner of Eutaw and McMchen Streets around 6:27 p.m.</blockquote>
Commissioner Michael Harrison said, “Our officer was on regular routine patrol when he observed a subject shooting at a group of individuals with a semi-automatic assault rifle. Based on that, he engaged the suspect and discharged his weapon.”
On Monday, two men were shot and killed in Baltimore; <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/crime/bs-md-ci-cr-homicide-man-shot-killed-20200316-rssjud2abbapbenwfyhmgqa7ii-story.html">The Baltimore Sun</a> reported, “Early Monday afternoon, a man was fatally shot in North Baltimore, according to Baltimore City Police. Officers responded to the 600 block of McCabe Ave. in the Woodbourne-McCabe neighborhood around 12:20 p.m. and found the victim, who was pronounced dead at the scene.”
The Baltimore Sun reported in <a href="https://www.arcgis.com/apps/MapJournal/index.html?appid=9a4759b9343945a4b15faccc98c22019">September 2018</a>, “Baltimore had the worst homicide rate among the nation’s 50 largest cities last year and the second-highest violent crime rate overall, according to new data from the FBI.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.areavibes.com/baltimore-md/crime/">AreaVibes</a> reported, “The overall crime rate is 153% higher than the average of crimes committed in Maryland. It is also 145% higher than the national average. When it comes to violent crimes, Baltimore, MD shows a crime rate that is 291% higher than the Maryland average. The crime rate is also 382% higher than the national average. When it comes to property crimes, Baltimore, MD is shown to be 121% higher than the Maryland average and 104% higher than the national average.”

Baltimore&#8217;s 51st mayor spends his first full day on the job 527 miles away, his phone ringing nonstop

Baltimore Mayor: Stop Shooting Each Other. We Need The Hospital Beds.

Coronavirus

After pleading guilty to charges of conspiracy and tax evasion in November, former Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh has finally learned her fate. On Thursday, Pugh was sentenced to three years in prison in connection to her infamous “Healthy Holly” children’s book scandal, which brought yet more national attention on the embattled city and ultimately resulted in the Democratic mayor resigning in disgrace last May.
After federal prosecutors <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/federal-prosecutors-recommend-hard-time-for-ex-baltimore-mayor-reveal-new-details-on-childrens-book-scandal">recommended</a> five years behind bars for Pugh, U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow ruled Thursday that Pugh, 69, would serve three years in prison and an additional three years of supervised released.
&#8220;The disgraced former mayor was also ordered to pay $411,948 in restitution and to forfeit $669,688, including property in Baltimore and $17,800 from her Committee to Re-elect Catherine Pugh,&#8221; <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ex-baltimore-mayor-apologizes-over-children-s-book-scam-sentencing-n1144286">NBC News</a> reported Thursday.
After being elected in 2016, Pugh quickly came under scrutiny for multiple lucrative deals involving her children’s book, &#8220;Healthy Holly.&#8221; Pugh&#8217;s nonprofit ended up receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars from multiple city and state contractors from the book deals. The scheme, prosecutors say, benefited Pugh both financially and politically.
After the sentencing Thursday, U.S. Attorney Robert Hur slammed Pugh&#8217;s lawyers for attempting to portray her crimes as victimless. &#8220;The victims in a case like this &#8230; are all of us, the people and the city of Baltimore, the taxpayers who expect, and they should expect, and they should demand, integrity,&#8221; said Hur, as reported by NBC News.
After every member of the Baltimore City Counsel <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-baltimore-city-councils-tough-message-james-barrett">demanded</a> her resignation, Pugh resigned in May. In November, Pugh <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-democratic-mayor-of-baltimore-pleads-guilty-in-childrens-book-fraud-case">pleaded guilty</a> to charges of conspiracy and tax evasion. In a <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/politics/bs-md-ci-cr-pugh-sentence-sought-20200213-i5ljpuivxzf4ngnkbya2qsxnti-story.html">sentencing memorandum</a> filed two weeks ago, federal prosecutors laid out the long list of crimes they say Pugh committed over multiple years, including fraud, tax evasion, cover-ups and “brazen lies to the public.”
<div class="crd clln--it" data-type="text">
<div class=" crd--cnt ">
“The blistering, 37-page sentencing memorandum, accompanied by financial records and copies of checks, for the first time pinpointed the number of ‘Healthy Holly’ children’s books Pugh sold — and re-sold,” <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/politics/bs-md-ci-cr-pugh-sentence-sought-20200213-i5ljpuivxzf4ngnkbya2qsxnti-story.html">The Baltimore Sun</a> reported at the time. “It outlined her efforts to conceal her dealings, including lying to FBI agents who came to her house to seize her cellphone.”
<div class="crd clln--it" data-type="text">
<div class=" crd--cnt ">
The sentencing memorandum, signed by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Martin J. Clarke and Leo J. Wise, presented a damning account of Pugh&#8217;s actions. “The chronology of events since 2011, comprising Pugh’s seven-year scheme to defraud, multiple years of tax evasion, election fraud, and attempted cover-ups, including brazen lies to the public, clearly establishes the deliberateness with which she pursued financial and political gain without a second thought about how it was harming the public’s trust,” read the memo.
The former mayor&#8217;s actions reveal “a recurring pattern of well-executed steps that built on each other, becoming more audacious and complex leading up to the mayoral election,” the prosecutors stated.
Prosecutors say that Pugh orchestrated a multi-stage scheme in which she resold over 132,000 copies of her children&#8217;s book for nearly $860,000. About 94% of the book sales, or around $805,000 worth, was brought in through deals with &#8220;corporate book purchasers with an interest in obtaining or maintaining a government contract,&#8221; as noted by The Baltimore Sun.
&#8220;Among the accusations is Pugh’s failure to disclose book deals worth hundreds of thousands to the Senate before becoming mayor, among them her $500,000 deal with the University of Maryland Medical System, for which she served on its volunteer board,&#8221; the Daily Wire reported.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/federal-prosecutors-recommend-hard-time-for-ex-baltimore-mayor-reveal-new-details-on-childrens-book-scandal">Federal Prosecutors Recommend Hard Time For Ex-Baltimore Mayor, Reveal New Details On Children’s Book Scandal</a>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>

UPDATE: Baltimore Mayor Sentenced To Multiple Years Behind Bars For Children’s Book Scam

Former Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh is facing up to five years in prison over her infamous &#8220;Healthy Holly&#8221; children&#8217;s book scandal, over which she resigned last May and pleaded guilty in November.
Pugh was elected mayor of Baltimore in 2016 but quickly came under increased scrutiny over multiple deals involving her children&#8217;s book, for which her nonprofit received hundreds of thousands of dollars from various city and state contractors and by which prosecutors say she benefited not only financially but also politically. In November, Pugh <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-democratic-mayor-of-baltimore-pleads-guilty-in-childrens-book-fraud-case">pleaded guilty</a> to charges of conspiracy and tax evasion; while the terms of the agreement were not revealed, her sentencing was scheduled for late February.
In a <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/politics/bs-md-ci-cr-pugh-sentence-sought-20200213-i5ljpuivxzf4ngnkbya2qsxnti-story.html">sentencing memorandum</a> filed Thursday, federal prosecutors laid out their case against Pugh, who they accuse of being a &#8220;scammer&#8221; guilty of a multiple years of fraud, tax evasion, cover-ups and &#8220;brazen lies to the public&#8221; in order to personally profit — and all in the name of &#8220;children&#8217;s health.&#8221;
<div class="crd clln--it" data-type="text">
<div class=" crd--cnt ">
&#8220;The blistering, 37-page sentencing memorandum, accompanied by financial records and copies of checks, for the first time pinpointed the number of &#8216;Healthy Holly&#8217; children’s books Pugh sold — and re-sold,&#8221; <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/politics/bs-md-ci-cr-pugh-sentence-sought-20200213-i5ljpuivxzf4ngnkbya2qsxnti-story.html">The Baltimore Sun</a> reports. &#8220;It outlined her efforts to conceal her dealings, including lying to FBI agents who came to her house to seize her cellphone.&#8221;
<div class="crd clln--it" data-type="text">
<div class=" crd--cnt ">
The memorandum, signed by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Martin J. Clarke and Leo J. Wise, presents the case for severe sentencing for Pugh as a result of her &#8220;deliberate&#8221; pursuit of financial and political gain. &#8220;The chronology of events since 2011, comprising Pugh’s seven-year scheme to defraud, multiple years of tax evasion, election fraud, and attempted cover-ups, including brazen lies to the public, clearly establishes the deliberateness with which she pursued financial and political gain without a second thought about how it was harming the public’s trust,” reads the memorandum, as highlighted by the Baltimore Sun.
Her actions reveal &#8220;a recurring pattern of well-executed steps that built on each other, becoming more audacious and complex leading up to the mayoral election,&#8221; Clarke and Wise charge.
<div class="crd clln--it" data-type="text">
<div class=" crd--cnt ">
As highlighted by The Baltimore Sun, the prosecutors say that Pugh orchestrated a “three-dimensional” scheme in which she managed to &#8220;resell 132,116 copies for a total of $859,960.&#8221; Prosecutors say that about 94% of the book sales, around $805,000, came from &#8220;corporate book purchasers with an interest in obtaining or maintaining a government contract.&#8221; The memo also presents more details about the roles of a city comptroller and a key city contractor that could spark further inquiries.
Among the accusations is Pugh&#8217;s failure to disclose book deals worth hundreds of thousands to the Senate before becoming mayor, among them her $500,000 deal with the University of Maryland Medical System, for which she served on its volunteer board. (<a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/politics/bs-md-ci-cr-pugh-sentence-sought-20200213-i5ljpuivxzf4ngnkbya2qsxnti-story.html">Read the sentencing memo here</a>.)
Amid mounting pressure after it was revealed that most of her &#8220;Healthy Holly&#8221; books were never distributed to the children they were supposed to help — instead being stored in a Baltimore City Public School System warehouse and Pugh’s homes and offices — Pugh publicly apologized in March.
“I sincerely want to say that I apologize that I have done something to upset the people of Baltimore,” she <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/baltimore-mayor-will-take-leave-absence-ashe-schow">said</a>. “I never intended to do anything that could not stand up to scrutiny.”
Months after going on paid administrative leave, and after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-baltimore-city-councils-tough-message-james-barrett">every member</a> of the Baltimore City Counsel called for her resignation, Pugh finally <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-resignation-letter-finally-issued-scandal-james-barrett">resigned</a> in May.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-trump-critics-presented-racist-comments-james-barrett">WATCH: Trump Critics Presented With ‘Racist’ Comments About Baltimore, Then Learn Who Actually Said Them</a>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>

Federal Prosecutors Recommend Hard Time For Ex-Baltimore Mayor, Reveal New Details On Children’s Book Scandal

Baltimore has registered a grim new record in its crime statistics. Over the holiday weekend, the city suffered its 343rd homicide of the year, surpassing its previous high of 342 and setting a new record for killings per capita.
After seeing declining numbers, homicides began to increase dramatically in 2015 following the infamous case of Freddie Gray, which some blame for encouraging a more &#8220;hands off&#8221; approach by law enforcement.
<div class="crd clln--it" data-type="text">
<div class=" crd--cnt ">
&#8220;Baltimore police recorded the 343rd homicide of the year Saturday with the fatal shooting of a 32-year-old man in the Belair-Edison neighborhood,&#8221; <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/crime/bs-md-ci-cr-12-29-20191229-d2mxtvzxance7gwo2rre3lbteq-story.html">The Baltimore Sun</a> reports. &#8220;Shortly before 11 p.m., city officers found the man lying in the 4300 block of Dudley Ave. in an area south of Belair Road and two blocks from Herring Run Park. The man had been shot multiple times and later died in an area hospital.&#8221;
The outlet notes that the murder followed just two days without a fatal shooting in the city. The previous murder took place Thursday night.
As <a href="https://wtop.com/baltimore/2019/12/baltimore-breaks-city-record-for-killings-per-capita-in-2019/">The Associated Press</a> details, with its 343rd fatal shooting of the year, the city has now officially reached &#8220;a historically high homicide rate.&#8221;
&#8220;With just over 600,000 residents, the city hit a historically high homicide rate of about 57 per 100,000 people after recent relentless gunfire saw eight people shot — three fatally — in one day and nine others — one fatally — another day,&#8221; AP reported Friday. &#8220;The new rate eclipses that of 1993, when the city had a record 353 killings but was much more populous before years of population exodus.&#8221;
To highlight how dire the situation is in Baltimore, AP notes that New York City, which has a population of over 8 million compared to Baltimore&#8217;s 600,000 residents, had recorded 306 homicides through Dec. 15.
Baltimore&#8217;s previous record for the number of homicides in a year was 342, the number fatally shot in the city in both 2017 and 2015. Beginning in 2015, the city has recorded at least 300 homicides per year.
After seeing a decline in the murder rate, killings spiked dramatically in 2015, the same year that Freddie Gray, an African American Baltimore resident, died while in police custody. Gray&#8217;s death caused a massive uproar in the city, sparking protests and riots, in which police were reportedly told by the mayor to &#8220;stand down.&#8221; <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/source-baltimore-mayor-ordered-police-to-stand-down">Fox News</a> reported at the time:
<blockquote>
Despite a firm denial by Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, a senior law enforcement source charges that she gave an order for police to stand down as riots broke out Monday night, raising more questions about whether some of the violence and looting could have been prevented.
The source, who is involved in the enforcement efforts, confirmed to Fox News there was a direct order from the mayor to her police chief Monday night, effectively tying the hands of officers as they were pelted with rocks and bottles.
Asked directly if the mayor was the one who gave that order, the source said: &#8220;You are God damn right it was.&#8221;</blockquote>
Many have blamed the fallout of the case for the increase in crime in the city, maintaining that the backlash against the police and the pressure from elected officials has resulted in a more &#8220;hands off&#8221; approach by officers.
Others, as AP explains, have blamed the spike in crime as the result of a confluence of factors, including access to illegal guns, the opioid epidemic, social inequalities, lack of jobs, and political incompetence.
H/T J<a href="https://hotair.com/archives/jazz-shaw/2019/12/29/baltimore-succeeds-breaking-murder-record-century/">azz Shaw</a>
</div>
</div>

Ceasfire Baltimore rally to stop gun violence

Baltimore Surpasses Highest Murder Rate Ever

Murder

At least 20 cops in Baltimore, Maryland were arrested, sentenced, or suspended in 2019 for their behavior, a Baltimore Sun report <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/crime/bs-md-ci-cr-20-baltimore-cops-sentenced-charged-2019-20191217-wtqklwhhqndk3hrgacufigczem-story.html">found</a>.
The outlet noted that this was an “ugly” year for the city’s cops, some of whom committed crimes themselves and terrorized residents. In addition to the 20 or so who were punished for their actions, Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby in October presented <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/crime/bs-md-ci-cr-gttf-commission-meeting-20191203-uuumag74hnhxhgn2oeadzh53ki-story.html">a list of 305</a> Baltimore police officers with possible credibility issues.
“We have 305 officers with integrity issues and/or allegations of integrity issues that would in essence put them in jeopardy from testifying,” Mosby said when she presented her list.
As for those who were punished or arrested in 2019, the actions that led to their consequences include some real doozies.
Beating a Man “Without Justification”
Former officer Arthur Williams was found guilty of second-degree assault in June based on body cam footage of him beating a man multiple times. The victim received a broken jaw and ribs and spent three days in the hospital. Baltimore Circuit Judge Yolanda Tanner said the attack was “without justification.” Williams was sentenced to 9 months in prison.
Sergeant Charged after Chasing and Arresting Man For Exercising Free Speech Rights
A sergeant was charged with “assault, false imprisonment and misconduct,” the Sun reported, after he chased a bystander who was complaining about how officers were treating a suspect. The bystander committed no crimes, yet the police sergeant arrested him, according to body cam footage. When the bystander asked why he was being arrested, the police sergeant told him: “Just go to jail and take your charge like a man.&#8221;
Road Rage
Former officer Michael Gentil was sentenced to five years in prison after he nearly ran over a pedestrian and then pulled a gun on the man after he spilled tea on Gentil’s car. Gentil, according to prosecutors, didn’t yield when the pedestrian was crossing the street. The pedestrian was carrying tea and spilled some on Gentil’s car. Gentil then pulled a gun on him and ordered him to get down on the ground.
Drunk Driving
Former officer Aaron Heilman was found with a blood alcohol level of 0.22 and slumped over in his car in the early afternoon last year. He entered a plea agreement this year. Another officer, detective Kevin Brown, was suspended and charged with driving under the influence.
Perjury
Michael O’Sullivan was sentenced to 15 months in prison – but is still part of the police force, though he has been suspended – for lying in court regarding a criminal case. O’Sullivan claimed he saw a suspect throwing away a handgun while fleeing from cops. It was determined he could not have witnessed the event.
Planting a Toy Gun on Someone to Justify Police Chasing Him
A man was chased by police in 2014 and eventually “run down by an officer’s vehicle,” the Sun reported. To justify police actions, retired police Sgt. Keith Gladstone planted a toy gun on the man. He pleaded guilty and faces up to 10 years in federal prison, according to the Sun.
Gun Task Force Corruption
Eight city officers were “<a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/crime/bal-baltimore-gun-trace-task-force-coverage-storygallery.html">convicted of racketeering offenses</a> for robbing people using their badge,” the Sun reported.
Tasing and Beating a Teenager
Former officer Carlos Rivera-Martinez was dismissed and convicted of second-degree assault and misconduct after beating a 16-year-old in the head and using his taser on the boy after chasing him.

Baltimore police

Drunk Driving, Pulling A Gun On Someone For Spilling Tea: Baltimore Cops Have ‘Ugly’ Year

Police

Baltimore Mayor Bernard &#8220;Jack&#8221; Young suggested on Thursday that the city&#8217;s leadership should not be held responsible for Baltimore&#8217;s consistently high murder rate because none of the leadership members personally committed any murders.
&#8220;There is not a lack of any leadership on my part. I have been moving this city forward &#8230; you know, because I&#8217;m not committing the murders and that&#8217;s what people need to understand,&#8221; Young told reporters during a press conference. &#8220;I&#8217;m not committing the murders, the police commissioner is not committing it, the council is not committing it. So, how can you fault leadership?&#8221;
Young&#8217;s remarks were in response to an <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/op-ed/bs-ed-op-1112-jordan-taylor-20191111-yl3v2zq4pvdktaffv7urcd34oa-story.html">opinion piece</a> written by Y in Central Maryland President John Hoey, who blamed the city&#8217;s skyrocketing murder rate on the local government lack of initiative. Hoey penned the op-ed after a 31-year-old Y coach was killed during a home invasion while in his Baltimore residence.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Mayor Jack Young on Baltimore homicides: &quot;I&#39;m not committing the murders. The police commissioner has not committed it. The council&#39;s not committing it. So how can you fault leadership?&quot; <a href="https://t.co/Yg9MMRnUTE">https://t.co/Yg9MMRnUTE</a> <a href="https://t.co/5XExpSMGA2">pic.twitter.com/5XExpSMGA2</a>
&mdash; FOX Baltimore (@FOXBaltimore) <a href="https://twitter.com/FOXBaltimore/status/1194729498194989057?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;The truth is that we are in the midst of an existential crisis in the City of Baltimore. Our homicide rate is among the highest in the country, and the pace of violence and victims this year is exceeding last year’s already high pace,&#8221; Hoey wrote. &#8220;The reasons for this level of violence are complex and interlocking.&#8221;
&#8220;There is no one thing to be done to fix it, but there are definitely a set of laws, practices and actions at both the local and state level (with federal assistance) that could be used to significantly reduce the rate of violent crime if we had the will and focus to do it,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Other cities have successfully reduced their violent crime rate significantly, but in Baltimore we have had not just a crisis of confidence but, in my view, a crisis of leadership.&#8221;
City Council President Brandon Scott, who is challenging Young for Baltimore mayor, slammed Young for his response in a statement, according to <a href="https://foxbaltimore.com/news/city-in-crisis/mayor-young-says-leadership-isnt-to-blame-for-baltimore-murders">Fox 45 News</a>.
&#8220;Mr. Mayor, respectfully, this can&#8217;t be our response to violence as elected leaders in Baltimore,&#8221; Scott said. &#8220;Our residents deserve to know their leaders have a vision to coordinate our precious resources in the fight against violent crime effectively and urgently, not passing the buck.&#8221;
The city of Baltimore is already bracing to surpass the 300 homicides mark for the fifth year in a row — as of mid-November, 296 individuals have been killed in the city.
Baltimore had the worst homicide rate among the 50 largest cities in the country, as well as the second-highest violent crime rate overall, according to<a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/crime/bs-md-ci-fbi-data-20180924-story.html"> FBI data</a> released in 2018. At the time, Republican Gov. Larry Hogan called the news &#8220;shocking and disappointing,&#8221; but further noted that &#8220;it doesn&#8217;t come as a complete surprise.&#8221;
Young became the mayor of Baltimore in May 2019 after his Democratic colleague, former mayor Catherine Pugh, stepped down amid investigations into corrupt business dealings. He had previously served for nearly a decade as the president of the Baltimore City Council.
Young&#8217;s campaign manager later issued a statement trying to clarifying his initial comments.
&#8220;While no leaders in our city are personally responsible for these crimes, ALL of us have a role to play in stopping them. And, as mayor, I take and will continue to take responsibility for making our city safer and cleaner,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;But the City leadership can&#8217;t do it alone. We need community leaders, stakeholders, and everyday Baltimoreans to come together and work to reduce gun violence.&#8221;

WATCH: Baltimore Mayor Dodges Responsibility For Skyrocketing Murder Rate: ‘I’m Not Committing The Murders’

The U.S. Department of Justice has recently sued the Baltimore County government alleging that its written test for police officer recruits was unfairly biased against black applicants. It turns out that black applicants failed the written test at a rate much greater than white applicants. That results in fewer blacks being trained and hired as police officers. John A. Olszewski Jr., Baltimore County Executive said: &#8220;A law enforcement agency should look like the community it serves. As I have said repeatedly since taking office, I am committed to increasing diversity in the county&#8217;s Police Department.&#8221;
Baltimore City uses Municipal Police Selection Test. You can examine some sample questions at its website. I&#8217;d like to know which of the questions are either unrelated to police work or racist. Many jurisdictions use The National Police Officer Selection Test. You can examine some of the sample questions at its website. Again, I&#8217;d like to know which of the questions are unrelated to police work or are racially biased questions. In addition, it has been found that MPST and POST are successful predictors of law enforcement training success and job performance.
Black performance on police exams is simply the tip of the iceberg of a truly tragic cruelty. That cruelty stands front and center when one examines the education that most blacks in Baltimore receive. Several years ago, Project Baltimore began an investigation of Baltimore&#8217;s school system. What they found was an utter disgrace. In 19 of Baltimore&#8217;s high schools, out of 3,804 students, only 14 of them, or less than 1%, were proficient in math. In 13 of Baltimore&#8217;s 39 high schools, not a single student scored proficient in math. In five Baltimore City high schools, not a single student scored proficient in math or reading. Despite these academic deficiencies, about 70% of the students graduate and are conferred a high school diploma. A high school diploma attests that the holder can read, write and compute at a 12th-grade level. Obviously, the diplomas conferred on students who have not mastered reading, writing and computing are fraudulent.
When a person who cannot read, write and compute very well takes a written employment exam, including that to become a police officer, he is going to encounter difficulties. His difficulties are not caused by any racially discriminatory aspect of the test. His difficulties are a result of not having acquired what he should have acquired by the time he finished high school. But that is not how such a person sees it. He sees that he has a high school diploma just as a white applicant has a high school diploma. To him, any difference in treatment and outcomes must be the result of racial discrimination. Thus, the U.S. Department of Justice sued, claiming that the written test for police officer recruits was unfairly biased against black applicants.
The conclusion that Baltimore County&#8217;s written test for police officer recruits was unfairly biased against black applicants is tragic. It allows Baltimore public schools to continue to produce fraudulent education. You say: &#8220;Hold it, Williams! You can&#8217;t blame everything on schools.&#8221; You&#8217;re right. One cannot blame schools and teachers for students who are hostile to the education process. One cannot blame schools and teachers for a rotten home environment or derelict parents. But there is one thing entirely within the control of educators. That&#8217;s their power to issue diplomas. When they confer high school diplomas on youngsters who cannot read, write and compute at or near a 12th-grade level, they are engaging in fraudulent conduct.
Dr. Thomas Sowell&#8217;s research in &#8220;Education: Assumptions Versus History&#8221; documents academic excellence at Baltimore&#8217;s Frederick Douglass High School and others. This academic excellence occurred during an era when blacks were much poorer and faced gross racial discrimination. It&#8217;s worthwhile reading for black people to learn the capabilities of other blacks facing so many challenging circumstances. I&#8217;m wondering when the black community will demand an end to an educational environment that condemns so many youngsters to mediocrity.
Walter E. Williams is a professor of economics at George Mason University. To find out more about Walter E. Williams and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.

Police Tape

WILLIAMS: Racist Exam Questions?

Department of Justice

Race

Racism

A soon-to-be opened restaurant in Baltimore is being called racist because it posted a sign with one specific message: the restaurant has a dress code.
The Choptank, which alerted prospective customers that it will be &#8220;opening soon&#8221; on <a href="https://thechoptankbaltimore.com/">its website</a>, posted a dress code listing some items that would be unacceptable to wear on its premises, including:
<blockquote>Excessively baggy clothing
Offensive, Vulgar, or Inappropriate Attire
Athletic Attire
Jerseys
Brimless headgear
Backwards or Sideways Hats
Work and Construction Boots
Sunglasses After Dark</blockquote>
One Twitter user who described themselves as a photojournalist tweeted, &#8220;Dress CODED sign at the new Choptank restaurant in Fells,&#8221; followed by another tweet with a <a href="https://twitter.com/jmgpix/status/1174136342214828032">picture of the sign</a> and a link to a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/food/wp/2019/09/17/critics-say-a-new-baltimore-crab-house-is-targeting-minorities-with-its-strict-dress-code/">Washington Post article</a> about the restaurant.
The restaurant tweeted back, &#8220;Being new to the Fells Point neighborhood, we simply implemented the dress code standard that is used by several other properties in the area including Barcocina, Bond Street Social Moby&#8217;s and The Horse You Came In On. Have a great day.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Being new to the Fells Point neighborhood, we simply implemented the dress code standard that is used by several other properties in the area including Barcocina, Bond Street Social Moby’s and The Horse You Came In On. Have a great day.
— The Choptank (@The_Choptank) <a href="https://twitter.com/The_Choptank/status/1173594900895621123?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 16, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
Another Twitter user <a href="https://twitter.com/Sedna_51/status/1173657165464125440">added</a>, &#8220;This is racist as hell and I will never enter your restaurant &amp; will actively warn others away from it, have a great day.&#8221; Another <a href="https://twitter.com/HollaBlackGirl/status/1173708363604975616">added</a>, &#8220;Y&#8217;all coulda saved yourselves some time @The_Choptank and just posed a &#8216;No Black People&#8217; sign.&#8221; A writer for ELLE magazine <a href="https://twitter.com/oureric/status/1173690140037922819">tweeted</a> that the restaurant had a &#8220;blatantly discriminatory dress code.&#8221;
The Washington Post quoted Jassera Contreras, a host at Barcocina, saying, &#8220;We don&#8217;t really have a dress code. We&#8217;re casual fine dining but basically as long as you don&#8217;t come in in your pajamas, you&#8217;re okay. We&#8217;ve never kicked anyone out or anything.&#8221; The Post added, &#8220;At Bond Street, there is no dress code on weekdays, a woman answering the phones said, but after 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, it bans hats of all kinds, boots, hoodies, baggy or ripped jeans, military attire, athletic footwear and tank tops on men.&#8221;
A spokesperson for Atlas Restaurant Group, which owns The Choptank, told <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/baltimore-restaurant-dress-code-discrimination">Fox News</a>, &#8220;Our policy is no different than countless other bars in Fells Point, Federal Hill and many other bar/restaurants around Maryland including Seacrets and Tiki Lee&#8217;s both posted on their websites. There are also national properties such as Wynn Las Vegas (XS) that have similar dress codes in their entertainment venus. The most prominent African-American nightclub in Baltimore, Select Lounge has a stricter dress code as well. Baltimore City Public Schools has a similar dress code and language for their students.&#8221;
As <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/food-drink/bs-fo-choptank-dress-code-20190917-xjvijspltreyhm4l4n4jlmc5vu-story.html">The Baltimore Sun</a> reported, Baltimore mayor Bernard Young came to the defense of Atlas Restaurant Group founder Alex Smith, noting that Smith and Atlas often donate to charitable projects such as Toys for Tots. Young stated, &#8220;I don&#8217;t care what it is that I&#8217;m doing, I can call them and they jump right on it … I think people probably read into this wrong. I can tell you for a fact there&#8217;s not a racist bone in that guy&#8217;s body. This guy will give you the clothes off his back to help people. If you go to any of their restaurants, like Ouzo Bay, there are black folk there.&#8221; Young pointed out that Smith invited a black musician to play at his wedding, adding, &#8220;If he was racist, do you think he would have a black artist play at his wedding?&#8221;

Necktie

Baltimore Restaurant Accused Of Racism After Posting This Dress Code

Here&#8217;s what President Donald Trump tweeted about Baltimore&#8217;s congressman and his city: &#8220;Rep. Elijah Cummings has been a brutal bully, shouting and screaming at the great men &amp; women of Border Patrol about conditions at the Southern Border, when actually his Baltimore district is far worse and more dangerous. His district is considered the worst in the USA.&#8221;
&#8220;As proven last week during a congressional tour, the border is clean, efficient and well run, just very crowded,&#8221; Trump added. Cummings&#8217; &#8220;district is a disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess. If he spent more time in Baltimore, maybe he could help clean up this very dangerous &amp; filthy place.&#8221;
President Donald Trump&#8217;s claims suggesting that Rep. Elijah Cummings&#8217; Baltimore-area district is &#8220;considered the worst run and most dangerous&#8221; has been called racist. But whether Trump&#8217;s claims have any merit is an empirical matter settled by appealing to facts. Let&#8217;s look at a few.
In 2018, Baltimore was rated one of the &#8220;Rattiest Cities&#8221; in the nation by pest control company Orkin. According to Patch Media, although there has been progress in the last few years, Baltimore ranks ninth in rat infestation, down from its sixth position two years ago on Orkin&#8217;s list.
What about safety? In 2017, St. Louis had the nation&#8217;s highest murder rate, at 66.1 homicides per 100,000 residents. Baltimore came in second, with 55.8 murders per 100,000 people. The unpleasant fact is that predominantly black and Democratic-run cities have the worst records of public safety. The Trace, an independent nonprofit news organization, using 2017 data from the FBI&#8217;s Uniform Crime Reporting program, listed the 20 major U.S. cities with the highest homicide rates. After St. Louis and Baltimore, Detroit was third, with 39.8 murders per 100,000 people. Other cities with high murder rates included New Orleans; Kansas City, Missouri; Cleveland; Memphis, Tennessee; and Newark, New Jersey. With 24.1 murders per 100,000 residents, Chicago ranked ninth in the nation, followed by Cincinnati and Philadelphia. Washington, D.C., was 17th.
What about education in Baltimore? In 2016, in 13 of Baltimore&#8217;s 39 high schools, not a single student scored proficient on the state&#8217;s mathematics exam. In six other high schools, only 1% tested proficient in math. In raw numbers, 3,804 Baltimore students took the state&#8217;s math test and 14 tested proficient. Citywide, only 15% of Baltimore students passed the state&#8217;s English test. Money is not the problem. Of the nation&#8217;s 100 largest school systems, Baltimore schools rank third in spending per pupil.
Baltimore&#8217;s black students receive diplomas that attest that they can function at a 12th-grade level when in fact they may not be able to do so at a sixth-, seventh- or eighth-grade level. These students and their families have little reason to suspect that their diplomas are fraudulent. Thus, if they cannot pass a civil service exam, they will accuse the exam of being racist. When they get poor grades in college and flunk out, they will attribute their plight to racism. The information that these black students have is that they, just as white students, have a high school diploma and the only explanation they see for unequal outcomes is racism. The same story of poor education outcomes can be told about most cities with large black populations.
The problems that black people confront are immune to who is the president of the U.S. Those problems were not ameliorated when Barack Obama was president. Those problems are not going to be ameliorated by Trump&#8217;s presidency, though the black unemployment rate is considerably lower. The lesson for black people is that politicians and government handouts are not solutions. If they were, at a public expenditure that tops $22 trillion over the past half-century, black people would not be confronted with today&#8217;s problems.
Walter E. Williams is a professor of economics at George Mason University. To find out more about Walter E. Williams and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.

School Classroom

WILLIAMS: Was Trump Right About Baltimore?

Donald Trump

Elijah Cummings

This week, after The Baltimore Sun slammed a conservative activist who organized 170 volunteers to pick up 12 tons of trash in the city, questioning his motives, a philanthropist threw down the gauntlet to the newspaper, offering to pledge $100,000 to clean up the city if the Sun would retract its editorial.
The <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/editorial/bs-ed-0808-conservatives-clean-west-baltimore-20190806-hmc2gndnhfhodch4yxromipgnq-story.html">editorial was titled</a>, “We assume it was pure motives that led a Trump supporter to launch a cleanup in Cummings’ district, right?” In the op-ed, the Sun blasted activist Scott Presler, whose volunteers completed the massive job in only 12 hours, cynically writing, “Look, we appreciate anyone who is willing to roll up their sleeves to help Baltimore. More than 170 people came from all over the country and cleaned up nearly 12 tons of trash, according to Mr. Presler’s Twitter feed. He doesn’t post any photos of the totality of the trash, so we’ll have to take his word for it. But if this was all about &#8216;Americans helping Americans,&#8217; why all the videos of Baltimore residents thanking Mr. Trump for bringing attention to the issue? We happen to know that not everybody in West Baltimore feels that way. And in the same posts as the videos, why the frequent reminders that this is in act Mr. Cummings’ district?&#8221;
The op-ed added, “Whatever he says his motives were, Mr. Presler’s presence in Baltimore reinforces the tired image of our failing urban cores. That the poor people in this dilapidated city can’t take care of their own neighborhoods and all the public officials around them have failed as well. The bureaucratic, all-talk Democrats strike again. If a crowd of volunteers could clean up 12 tons of trash in 12 hours, how incompetent and helpless must Baltimoreans be if they can’t manage it in decades, right?”
But then the Sun contradicted its previous statement, writing, “We also hope Mr. Presler keeps his promise to return to Baltimore once a month. It would definitely give his motives more credibility.”
Philanthropist Bill Pulte fired back at the Sun on Twitter, writing, “My teammates and I will pledge $100,000 to Baltimore neighborhood clean up (I know a thing or two about that!) in Baltimore if the Baltimore Sun retracts this article that discourages people who want to help the City, when the amazing residents want them (to) help!”
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">My teammates and I will pledge $100,000 to Baltimore neighborhood clean up (I know a thing or two about that!) in Baltimore if the Baltimore Sun retracts this article that discourages people who want to help the City, when the amazing residents want them help! <a href="https://t.co/0vh444NAaM">https://t.co/0vh444NAaM</a>
— Bill Pulte (@pulte) <a href="https://twitter.com/pulte/status/1159104682004025345?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
In late July, President Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/50329/trump-supporters-clean-west-baltimore-and-liberal-amanda-prestigiacomo">targeted</a> West Baltimore, specifically, the district of Rep. Elijah Cummings, tweeting:
<blockquote>Rep. Elijah Cummings has been a brutal bully, shouting and screaming at the great men &amp; women of Border Patrol about conditions at the Southern Border, when actually his Baltimore district is FAR WORSE and more dangerous. His district is considered the Worst in the USA. As proven last week during a Congressional tour, the Border is clean, efficient &amp; well run, just very crowded. Cumming[s&#8217;] District is a disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess. If he spent more time in Baltimore, maybe he could help clean up this very dangerous &amp; filthy place.</blockquote>
H/T <a href="https://twitchy.com/brettt-3136/2019/08/08/philanthropist-pledges-100000-to-clean-up-baltimore-if-newspaper-retracts-its-hit-piece-on-volunteers/">Twitchy</a>

Baltimore Trash

Baltimore Sun Rips Trump Supporter For Cleaning Up Baltimore. Philanthropist Fires Back With One Hell Of An Offer.

In his latest man-on-the-street video, filmmaker Ami Horowitz played another round of &#8220;America&#8217;s favorite game: Who Said What?&#8221; — this time focused on &#8220;racist&#8221; comments about Baltimore, the city President Trump singled out repeatedly last week in his battle with Democratic Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings.
In <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1SsANgO1m8">the video</a>, Horowitz asks people who aren&#8217;t fans of Trump to identify the person they believe was behind various quotes slamming Baltimore, offering them three options: President Trump, former Democratic Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh (who resigned this year amid mounting pressure over a book deal scandal), and Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).
To get things warmed up, Horowitz starts with the most famous (and recent) of the quotes: Baltimore is a &#8220;disgusting, rat and rodent-infested mess.&#8221;
The first &#8220;contestant&#8221; answers correctly that that &#8220;racist&#8221; quote was stated by none other than the original Baltimore-hater himself, Donald Trump.
But the second quote throws the next participant for a loop. &#8220;You can smell the rats from here,&#8221; Horowitz reads. The woman guesses Trump, only to learn that it was in fact the African American former mayor of Baltimore who offered that rather damning <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2019/07/29/baltimore-mayor-catherine-pugh-smell-the-rats/">comment</a> — and long before Trump took aim at the Democrat-controlled city.
Next quote: &#8220;What the hell? We should take all this sh** down.&#8221;
&#8220;That&#8217;s gotta be Trump,&#8221; says a dude whose made great progress growing a Gandalf beard. Unfortunately, again, it turns out that it was actually Mayor Pugh&#8217;s suggestion to tear down part of the city back in 2018 because it was so dilapidated.
Next quote: &#8220;You would think we&#8217;re in a third world country.&#8221; That quote sparks a debate between a hat and glass-wearing guy and girl, the guy insisting Bernie doesn&#8217;t use the term &#8220;third world&#8221; anymore, as it&#8217;s now politically incorrect. But, it turns out that, yes, it was Bernie, who offered the brutal critique <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/bernie-sanders-blasted-baltimore-as-third-world-country-and-disgrace-in-past-comments">back in 2015</a>.
The contestants don&#8217;t always get things wrong, but they generally err on the side of blaming Trump.
WATCH:
<div class="embed video fluid-video"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/U1SsANgO1m8" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
The controvery over Baltimore began when Trump issued a series of tweets blasting Rep. Cummings, whose district includes the city, for neglecting what he described as a crime-plagued, &#8220;rat and rodent infested mess&#8221; and said &#8220;no human being would want to live there&#8221; — comments the Democrats and their allies in the media quickly declared &#8220;racist.&#8221;
&#8220;Rep. Elijah Cummings has been a brutal bully, shouting and screaming at the great men &amp; women of Border Patrol about conditions at the Southern Border, when actually his Baltimore district is FAR WORSE and more dangerous,&#8221; Trump tweeted last week &#8220;His district is considered the Worst in the USA. As proven last week during a Congressional tour, the Border is clean, efficient &amp; well run, just very crowded. Cumming[s&#8217;] District is a disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess. If he spent more time in Baltimore, maybe he could help clean up this very dangerous &amp; filthy place.&#8221;
&#8220;Why is so much money sent to the Elijah Cummings district when it is considered the worst run and most dangerous anywhere in the United States. No human being would want to live there. Where is all this money going? How much is stolen?&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;Investigate this corrupt mess immediately!&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/50364/reporter-confronts-residents-about-trumps-amanda-prestigiacomo">Reporter Confronts Residents About Trump&#8217;s Baltimore Comments. They Demolish The Left&#8217;s Narrative, Heckle Al Sharpton.</a>

WATCH: Trump Critics Presented With ‘Racist’ Comments About Baltimore, Then Learn Who Actually Said Them

Ami Horowitz

Bernie Sanders

On Monday, street reporter Austen Fletcher, a.k.a “Fleccas,” released about ten minutes of footage of West Baltimore residents talking about the conditions of the area and how they felt about President Donald Trump&#8217;s recent comments concerning West Baltimore — which the mainstream media and many top Democrats framed as racist.
The residents told a grim story about the decline of the area they love, plagued by crime and murder, and said Trump was right in his assessment even if, as one female put it, she&#8217;s still “Team Obama.”
Fleccas also highlighted another inconsistency within the mainstream narrative. When controversial activist Rev. Al Sharpton popped up in West Baltimore following Trump’s comments, residents heckled the political figure, calling him a “phony” and a “hustler” and asking why he only comes around during politically opportune times.
“It’s just sad man, everyday I’m crying inside because I wake up and I’m still here. It used to be okay, but it&#8217;s not now,” one man told Fleccas’ crew.
Another woman with a legally obtained firearm on her hip, said, “You can’t go home without feeling a threat of being shot, you’re scared to walk anywhere. &#8230; The violence is that bad.”
“Baltimore city is definitely ‘Murderland,’” she later added. “There are contracts out here for nothing, to kill someone for less than $100. The statement is definitely true. I got my gun permit eight years ago. You really have to feel some type of way that you have to be armed to live in Baltimore city — granted, mine is legal.”
“I saw a man rob a man, right here,” a man working from behind a shield at a convenience store said. “A customer went out of the door, and this guy, he just opened the door for him and put a gun to his head and he robbed him right in his car.”
“I feel like nobody cares about this area here, they’re not concerned about us,” a middle-aged female said.
Two men then complained that Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) has been representing the area for 25 years and has nothing to show for it.
“He allocated $4.6 billion for illegal immigrants but he hasn’t donated any money right for North Avenue &#8230; West Baltimore. Where has he been at? It’s drug-infested, it’s homeless people right there in West Baltimore — two blocks from his district. He don’t come there everyday. I haven’t seen Elijah Cummings in ten years ride up and down North Avenue,” one of the men said, noting that the last time he was around was following the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/12/us/freddie-gray-baltimore-police-federal-charges.html">death of Freddie Gray</a>, which was quickly politicized.
When asked about President Trump’s comments, one of the men answered, “Me personally, I want him to say things like that because it’s true. &#8230; I don’t have no problems with the man. I really respect him as a man because he’s upfront, he’s truthful. They keep wanting to say, ‘he a racist, he a racist, he a racist’; that’s not the problem, especially with black people, because I don’t see white men killing my own kind, you know what I mean.”
The woman with a firearm on her hip told the interviewer, “It’s sad but it’s true.” She later added, “I’m still ‘Team Obama,’ but with that being said, he’s (Trump) a powerful man and I believe he can make a lot of changes happen.”
“I don’t want to make a comment on the president, but he has a point,” the man working at the convenience store said. “Crime is very high and something has to be done.”
Two other locals had a back-and-forth over Trump suggesting “no human” would want to live in the area. “That’s true! I moved. I moved out of there. I can take you, right now, where there’s no running water in a whole block — ten minutes from Elijah Cummings’ block,” one of them said.
In another part of the video, men living in West Baltimore heckled Mr. Sharpton while he was giving a speech about Trump’s comments, painting the president as racist.
“You go back to New York! You bring that s*** to New York! You ain’t do nothing for Baltimore! You a phony!” an elderly man yells at the political figure.
“Our schools are failing us! Where are you when our schools are failing us? You’re just a hustler,” another man yells at Sharpton.
Late last month, Trump highlighted the issues in West Baltimore while going after Mr. Cummings. Trump ridiculed the top Democrat for neglecting the American people he represents to focus on the southern border.
&#8220;Rep. Elijah Cummings has been a brutal bully, shouting and screaming at the great men &amp; women of Border Patrol about conditions at the Southern Border, when actually his Baltimore district is FAR WORSE and more dangerous. His district is considered the Worst in the USA,&#8221; Trump said in a series of tweets. &#8220;As proven last week during a Congressional tour, the Border is clean, efficient &amp; well run, just very crowded. Cumming[s&#8217;] District is a disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess. If he spent more time in Baltimore, maybe he could help clean up this very dangerous &amp; filthy place.”
Though the media were quick to paint Trump as a racist for calling out the conditions, during a congressional hearing in 1999, Cummings called Baltimore “a drug-infested area&#8221; where people were &#8220;walking around like zombies,” as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/50103/watch-video-emerges-elijah-cummings-calling-ryan-saavedra">reported</a> by The Daily Wire.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/50329/trump-supporters-clean-west-baltimore-and-liberal-amanda-prestigiacomo">Trump Supporters Clean Up West Baltimore And The Liberal Media Are Irritated</a>
WATCH:
<div class="embed video fluid-video"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TGCfvWqaHnU" width="790" height="444" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>

screen_shot_2019-08-07_at_7.50.13_pm.png

Reporter Confronts Residents About Trump’s Baltimore Comments. They Demolish The Left’s Narrative, Heckle Al Sharpton.

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) extended an offer to President Donald Trump on Wednesday to tour Baltimore alongside him, after the president criticized the conditions of the congressman’s district.
“I want President Trump to come to my district,” Cummings said during a fireside chat at the National Press Club. “Oh God, I want him to come so bad.”
<div class="embed video fluid-video"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
Trump ignited a firestorm after he had previously tweeted a series of attacks against the Maryland lawmaker, criticizing him for bullying Border Patrol agents over the conditions of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement facilities along the southern border while the district Cummings was elected to represent remained, according to Trump, a “disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess.”
Cummings subsequently defended his service to the people of Maryland’s 7th Congressional District, as well as his handling of the House Oversight and Reform Committee during his tenure as chairman.
The president, however, continued his barrage of criticism and went on to tweet a slew of video clips showing Baltimore’s piling garbage and deteriorating conditions.
“I want him to come. I want him to come. I want him to come and look at my entire city. I’ll ride with him for hours if he asked to,” Cummings said. “Then I want him to go into Baltimore County where the richest of the rich are, then I want him to go into Howard County where the richest of the rich are, and then I want him to see all the wonderful things that are happening.”
Cummings, however, declined to tour a Housing and Urban Development (HUD) facility in Baltimore with HUD Sec. Ben Carson after the Trump administration extended the invitation in July. At the time, Cummings’ office <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/50120/cummings-turns-down-trump-administrations-molly-prince">told The Daily Wire</a> he was unable to join “due to scheduling conflicts.”
Cummings revealed on Wednesday that he has not asked the president about accompanying him to Baltimore because he “can’t get to him,” but welcomed the media to write editorials about his offer.
After his initial attack, Trump was immediately met with widespread backlash over what many on the Left claimed were racially motivated accusations. In response, the president doubled down on the remarks and accused Democrats of always playing “the race card.”
“Just take a look, the facts speak louder than words! The Democrats always play the Race Card, when in fact, they have done so little for our Nation’s great African American people,” Trump tweeted. “Now, lowest unemployment in U.S. history and only getting better. Elijah Cummings has failed badly!”
Interestingly, the city of Baltimore has been a top contender for the most rat-infested cities in the nation. <a href="https://patch.com/maryland/baltimore/baltimore-most-rat-infested-cities-list-again-orkin">The list</a>, which is compiled annually by the pest control company Orkin, placed Baltimore as one of the top 10 “Rattiest Cities” for the second year in a row in 2018.
Baltimore also had the worst homicide rate among the 50 largest cities in the country, as well as the second highest violent crime rate overall, according to <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/crime/bs-md-ci-fbi-data-20180924-story.html">FBI data</a> released in 2018. At the time, Republican Gov. Larry Hogan called the news “shocking and disappointing,” but further noted that “it doesn’t come as a complete surprise.”

elijahcummings.jpg

WATCH: Elijah Cummings Wants Trump To Visit Baltimore

On Monday, a group of Trump supporters led by conservative activist Scott Presler went to West Baltimore for a massive clean-up operation following tweets sent by President Donald Trump highlighting the dire conditions in the area.
While the residents were thankful for the overhaul — well over 100 volunteers came together to remove 12 tons of trash, according to Presler — the liberal media were, uh, irritated. The media attacked the activist as an &#8220;extremist,&#8221; questioned his motives, and scolded him for &#8220;reinforc[ing] the tired image that the poor people in this city can’t take care of their own neighborhoods.&#8221;
Here are some of the photos and videos from the clean-up effort:
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">We&#8217;re here in West Baltimore to pick up trash.
This isn&#8217;t a Trump rally, nor an anti-Representative Cummings event.
This is simply <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmericansHelpingAmericans?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AmericansHelpingAmericans</a>. <a href="https://t.co/Kxl6nVClxy">pic.twitter.com/Kxl6nVClxy</a>
— #ThePersistence (@ScottPresler) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottPresler/status/1158338978011078656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">This is one of the proudest moments of my life. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmericansHelpingAmericans?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AmericansHelpingAmericans</a> <a href="https://t.co/TxLY2Ippra">pic.twitter.com/TxLY2Ippra</a>
— #ThePersistence (@ScottPresler) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottPresler/status/1158427368781950976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Everyone is coming together to help Baltimore.
This is what makes America great. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmericansHelpingAmericans?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AmericansHelpingAmericans</a> <a href="https://t.co/LFEkRw8JW8">pic.twitter.com/LFEkRw8JW8</a>
— #ThePersistence (@ScottPresler) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottPresler/status/1158452902731689984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Imagine if we picked up trash in every city across America. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmericansHelpingAmericans?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AmericansHelpingAmericans</a> <a href="https://t.co/9Ucyvgew6Y">pic.twitter.com/9Ucyvgew6Y</a>
— #ThePersistence (@ScottPresler) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottPresler/status/1158532600346095618?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">West Baltimore local says, &#8220;I&#8217;m really happy. I want to cry.
I truly appreciate it.&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmericansHelpingAmericans?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AmericansHelpingAmericans</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Baltimore?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Baltimore</a> <a href="https://t.co/KCXZUXH36x">pic.twitter.com/KCXZUXH36x</a>
— #ThePersistence (@ScottPresler) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottPresler/status/1158502786612572160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Baltimore locals from Representative Cummings&#8217; District 7 thank President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> for bringing attention to Baltimore. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmericansHelpingAmericans?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AmericansHelpingAmericans</a> <a href="https://t.co/RxQtliHPc2">pic.twitter.com/RxQtliHPc2</a>
— #ThePersistence (@ScottPresler) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottPresler/status/1158440422328479746?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Before &amp; After: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmericansHelpingAmericans?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AmericansHelpingAmericans</a> <a href="https://t.co/EcOvNC5fDa">pic.twitter.com/EcOvNC5fDa</a>
— #ThePersistence (@ScottPresler) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottPresler/status/1158458652057120768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Thank you to the over 170+ volunteers who helped pick up trash in Baltimore.
We were out from 8 a.m. &#8211; 8 p.m. &amp; picked up over 12 tons of trash. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmericansHelpingAmericans?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AmericansHelpingAmericans</a> <a href="https://t.co/t0JqOouKxF">pic.twitter.com/t0JqOouKxF</a>
— #ThePersistence (@ScottPresler) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottPresler/status/1158526924160978945?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
&#8220;We assume it was pure motives that led a Trump supporter to launch a cleanup in Cummings&#8217; district, right?,&#8221; a headline from The Baltimore Sun&#8217;s editorial board <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/editorial/bs-ed-0808-conservatives-clean-west-baltimore-20190806-hmc2gndnhfhodch4yxromipgnq-story.html">snarked</a>.
&#8220;It made for good photos, compelling videos and catchy Twitter hashtags,&#8221; the editorial opened. &#8220;A group of conservatives rolled their pickup trucks into one of West Baltimore’s most impoverished neighborhoods Monday for a cleanup day. Loaded down with trash bags and shovels, they cleared alleyways of old tires, food containers, paper and other debris. They pulled up weeds and cut away overgrown grass. The group posted before and after pictures on social media showing their progress.&#8221;
Presler said the &#8220;visit wasn’t about showing support or animosity for either man,&#8221; the paper continued. &#8220;Call us skeptical.&#8221;
&#8220;Whatever he says his motives were, Scott Presler’s presence in Baltimore reinforces the tired image that the poor people in this city can’t take care of their own neighborhoods,&#8221; the Sun complained.
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/baltsunopinion?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@baltsunopinion</a>: Whatever he says his motives were, Scott Presler’s presence in Baltimore reinforces the tired image that the poor people in this city can’t take care of their own neighborhoods. <a href="https://t.co/EleeVh4ZPm">https://t.co/EleeVh4ZPm</a>
— The Baltimore Sun (@baltimoresun) <a href="https://twitter.com/baltimoresun/status/1158882948235448321?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
Real News Network <a href="https://therealnews.com/stories/right-wing-extremist-scott-presler-organizes-trash-clean-up-in-west-baltimore">labeled</a> Mr. Presler as a &#8220;right-wing extremist.&#8221;
&#8220;[R]ight-wing extremist Scott Presler organizes a &#8216;Clean Up&#8217; event in West Baltimore, but is this altruism or a political ploy for Trump?&#8221; the outlet asked.
Presler, however, remains undeterred in helping other Americans in need. &#8220;I&#8217;m getting messages from people all over the country wanting to start cleanups in their local cities,&#8221; he said in a tweet posted Tuesday. &#8220;We did something very special in Baltimore yesterday — it&#8217;s having a nationwide effect.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I&#8217;m getting messages from people all over the country wanting to start cleanups in their local cities.
We did something very special in Baltimore yesterday &#8212; it&#8217;s having a nationwide effect.
— #ThePersistence (@ScottPresler) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottPresler/status/1158723311335071745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
In late July, President Trump highlighted the issues in West Baltimore — specifically, the district of Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD). Trump ridiculed Cummings for neglecting the American people he represents to focus on the southern border — &#8220;bully[ing], shouting, and screaming&#8221; at Border Patrol, according to the president.
&#8220;Rep. Elijah Cummings has been a brutal bully, shouting and screaming at the great men &amp; women of Border Patrol about conditions at the Southern Border, when actually his Baltimore district is FAR WORSE and more dangerous. His district is considered the Worst in the USA,&#8221; Trump said in a series of tweets. &#8220;As proven last week during a Congressional tour, the Border is clean, efficient &amp; well run, just very crowded. Cumming[s&#8217;] District is a disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess. If he spent more time in Baltimore, maybe he could help clean up this very dangerous &amp; filthy place.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">&#8230;.As proven last week during a Congressional tour, the Border is clean, efficient &amp; well run, just very crowded. Cumming District is a disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess. If he spent more time in Baltimore, maybe he could help clean up this very dangerous &amp; filthy place
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1155073965880172544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
Though the media were quick to paint Trump as a racist for calling out the conditions, Mr. Cummings has similarly used such language to describe the area.
&#8220;This morning I left my community of Baltimore, a drug infested area&#8221; where people were &#8220;walking around like zombies,” Cummings said during a 1999 congressional hearing, as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/50103/watch-video-emerges-elijah-cummings-calling-ryan-saavedra">reported</a> by The Daily Wire.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/50033/baltimore-sun-trump-rat-amanda-prestigiacomo">‘Baltimore Sun’ Editorial Board Unloads On Trump, Calls Him A Rat. Here’s The Problem.</a>

Cleanup

Trump Supporters Clean Up West Baltimore And The Liberal Media Are Irritated

Trump Supporters

After another raucous rally in Ohio Thursday night, in which he worked in some more shots at the far-left &#8220;Squad&#8221; of Democratic congresswomen and slammed the conditions of Democrat-run cities, President Donald Trump started off Friday with an early morning tweet trolling one of the Democrats with whom he&#8217;s been in a much-publicized feud, Maryland&#8217;s Rep. Elijah Cummings.
&#8220;Really bad news! The Baltimore house of Elijah Cummings was robbed. Too bad!&#8221; Trump tweeted.
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">Really bad news! The Baltimore house of Elijah Cummings was robbed. Too bad!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1157259424794324992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
The trolling social media post comes in response to reports Thursday night that Cummings&#8217; house had been robbed hours before Trump first hit him with a pair of blistering tweets condemning his handling of the crime-ridden, &#8220;rat and rodent infested&#8221; Baltimore — a description Democrats have decried as &#8220;racist.&#8221;
As reported by <a href="https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/video/4136701-break-in-reported-at-elijah-cummings-house/">CBS Baltimore</a> and confirmed by police Thursday, an individual broke into the Baltimore residence of Rep. Cummings at around 3:40 a.m. Saturday, a few hours before Trump&#8217;s Cummings-targeting tweets. Police said they were unsure if any of the congressman&#8217;s property was stolen as a result of the break-in. Initial reports of the burglary inspired several posts on social media attempting to blame Trump for the robbery despite the timeline confirmed by police.
The blowup between Trump and Cummings began Saturday morning when Trump unleashed on the congressman over the &#8220;dangerous&#8221; state of the city he&#8217;s tasked with representing. Trump&#8217;s bruising critique was prompted by Cummings&#8217; recent criticism of the Border Patrol, as well as the House Oversight and Reform Committee (led by Cummings) authorizing subpoenas for all work-related texts and emails of Trump&#8217;s daughter and son-in-law, according to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/50045/nyt-white-house-officials-told-us-real-reason-hes-james-barrett">The New York Times</a>.
&#8220;Rep. Elijah Cummings has been a brutal bully, shouting and screaming at the great men &amp; women of Border Patrol about conditions at the Southern Border, when actually his Baltimore district is FAR WORSE and more dangerous,&#8221; Trump tweeted Saturday. &#8220;His district is considered the Worst in the USA. As proven last week during a Congressional tour, the Border is clean, efficient &amp; well run, just very crowded. Cumming[s&#8217;] District is a disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess. If he spent more time in Baltimore, maybe he could help clean up this very dangerous &amp; filthy place.&#8221;
&#8220;Why is so much money sent to the Elijah Cummings district when it is considered the worst run and most dangerous anywhere in the United States. No human being would want to live there. Where is all this money going? How much is stolen?&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;Investigate this corrupt mess immediately!&#8221;
Amid mounting blowback, Trump continued to hammer Cummings: &#8220;Elijah Cummings spends all of his time trying to hurt innocent people through &#8216;Oversight.&#8217; He does NOTHING for his very poor, very dangerous and very badly run district! So sad that Elijah Cummings has been able to do so little for the people of Baltimore. Statistically, Baltimore ranks last in almost every major category. Cummings has done nothing but milk Baltimore dry, but the public is getting wise to the bad job that he is doing!&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/50153/after-dems-praise-al-sharpton-wapo-publishes-james-barrett">After Dems Praise Al Sharpton, WaPo Publishes Devastating Piece Detailing His Ugly Past</a>

Trump Tweets ‘Really Bad News’ About Break-In At Elijah Cummings’ Baltimore House

The Baltimore residence of Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) was reportedly broken into on Saturday, only hours before President Donald Trump criticized the dilapidated condition of his &#8220;very dangerous&#8221; congressional district.
Baltimore city police confirmed on Thursday that an individual broke into Cummings&#8217; home at around 3:40 a.m., according to <a href="https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/video/4136701-break-in-reported-at-elijah-cummings-house/">CBS Baltimore</a>. Police, however, declined to comment on whether any property was taken during the incident.
The crime reportedly occurred shortly before Trump tweeted a series of attacks on the Maryland congressman, criticizing him for bullying Border Patrol agents over the conditions of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities along the southern border, all while the district he was elected to represent is, according to Trump, a &#8220;disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess.&#8221;
The president was immediately met with widespread backlash over what many on the left side of the aisle deemed to be racially-motivated attacks. In response, Trump doubled down on the remarks and accused Democrats of always playing the &#8220;race card.&#8221;
&#8220;Elijah Cummings spends all of his time trying to hurt innocent people through &#8216;Oversight.&#8217; He does NOTHING for his very poor, very dangerous and very badly run district! Take a look … &#8221; he tweeted, along with a video showing piles of garbage covering a Baltimore neighborhood. &#8220;#BlacksForTrump2020&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Elijah Cummings spends all of his time trying to hurt innocent people through “Oversight.” He does NOTHING for his very poor, very dangerous and very badly run district! Take a look&#8230;. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlacksForTrump2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlacksForTrump2020</a> <a href="https://t.co/seNVESZUht">https://t.co/seNVESZUht</a>
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1155230324374343688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
Cummings subsequently <a href="https://twitter.com/RepCummings/status/1155132215208161281?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1155132215208161281&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailywire.com%2Fnews%2F50120%2Fcummings-turns-down-trump-administrations-molly-prince">defended his service</a> to the people in Maryland&#8217;s 7th Congressional District, as well as his handling of the House Oversight and Reform committee during his tenure as chairman.
&#8220;Mr. President, I go home to my district daily. Each morning, I wake up, and I go and fight for my neighbors,&#8221; Cummings said. &#8220;It is my constitutional duty to conduct oversight of the Executive Branch. But, it is my moral duty to fight for my constituents.&#8221;
The president, however, continued his barrage of criticism and went on to tweet a slew of video clips showing the deteriorating conditions of Baltimore.
&#8220;So sad that Elijah Cummings has been able to do so little for the people of Baltimore. Statistically, Baltimore ranks last in almost every major category,&#8221; Trump said in a <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1155320921068056576?s=20">separate tweet</a>. &#8220;Cummings has done nothing but milk Baltimore dry, but the public is getting wise to the bad job that he is doing!&#8221;
Accordingly, the city of Baltimore was the runner up for the highest volume of violent crime among the nation&#8217;s 50 largest cities, according to <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/crime/bs-md-ci-fbi-data-20180924-story.html">FBI data</a> published in 2018. It also topped the list for having the worst homicide rate overall. At the time, Republican Gov. Larry Hogan called the news &#8220;shocking and disappointing,&#8221; but further noted that &#8220;it doesn&#8217;t come as a complete surprise.&#8221;
&#8220;Baltimore&#8217;s numbers are the worst in the United States on Crime and the Economy. Billions of dollars have been pumped in over the years, but to no avail,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;The money was stolen or wasted. Ask Elijah Cummings where it went. He should investigate himself with his Oversight Committee!&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Baltimore’s numbers are the worst in the United States on Crime and the Economy. Billions of dollars have been pumped in over the years, but to no avail. The money was stolen or wasted. Ask Elijah Cummings where it went. He should investigate himself with his Oversight Committee!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1156017961766756353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
The Baltimore Police Department would not confirm to The Daily Wire that a break-in occurred at Cummings&#8217; residence but did confirm that a break-in occurred on the block where the Maryland lawmaker resides.

REPORT: Elijah Cummings’ Baltimore Home Was Burglarized

The Trump campaign dug up an old video of Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) on Wednesday that shows him calling his district &#8220;drug infested,&#8221; which comes after the media and Democratic Party repeatedly attacked President Donald Trump for calling Baltimore drug- and rat-infested over the weekend.
During a congressional hearing in 1999, Cummings said: &#8220;This morning I left my community of Baltimore, a drug infested area&#8221; where people were &#8220;walking around like zombies.&#8221;
WATCH:
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Democrat Rep. Elijah Cummings in 1999: &#8220;This morning I left my community of Baltimore, a DRUG INFESTED area&#8221; where people are &#8220;walking around like zombies.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/MGUDfXL7UC">pic.twitter.com/MGUDfXL7UC</a>
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1156611903231352833?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
The newly uncovered clip comes after Trump repeatedly slammed Cummings over the weekend for the poor conditions in his district.
&#8220;Rep. Elijah Cummings has been a brutal bully, shouting and screaming at the great men &amp; women of Border Patrol about conditions at the Southern Border, when actually his Baltimore district is FAR WORSE and more dangerous,&#8221; Trump tweeted. His district is considered the Worst in the USA as proven last week during a Congressional tour, the Border is clean, efficient &amp; well run, just very crowded. Cumming District is a disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess. If he spent more time in Baltimore, maybe he could help clean up this very dangerous &amp; filthy place.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">&#8230;.As proven last week during a Congressional tour, the Border is clean, efficient &amp; well run, just very crowded. Cumming District is a disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess. If he spent more time in Baltimore, maybe he could help clean up this very dangerous &amp; filthy place
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1155073965880172544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
&#8220;Why is so much money sent to the Elijah Cummings district when it is considered the worst run and most dangerous anywhere in the United States,&#8221; Trump continued. &#8220;No human being would want to live there. Where is all this money going? How much is stolen? Investigate this corrupt mess immediately!&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Why is so much money sent to the Elijah Cummings district when it is considered the worst run and most dangerous anywhere in the United States. No human being would want to live there. Where is all this money going? How much is stolen? Investigate this corrupt mess immediately!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1155076476930338816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
Trump made the remarks after he watched a &#8220;FOX &amp; Friends&#8221; segement on Fox News on Saturday in which journalist Kimberly Klacik toured the Baltimore area and filmed broken down homes and residents complaining about the conditions in the district.
Here are some of the videos Klacik tweeted out:
&#8220;Not only are @RepCummings constituents NOT afraid of Trump, they are on board with his immigration policies. Residents are upset that illegal immigrants are taking the only jobs in the area. City contractors paying the illegals cash, leaving residents with no hope.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Not only are <a href="https://twitter.com/RepCummings?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepCummings</a> constituents NOT afraid of Trump, they are on board with his immigration policies. Residents are upset that illegal immigrants are taking the only jobs in the area. City contractors paying the illegals cash, leaving residents with no hope. More to come.. <a href="https://t.co/OZRZH9Fvhg">pic.twitter.com/OZRZH9Fvhg</a>
— Kimberly Klacik (@kimKBaltimore) <a href="https://twitter.com/kimKBaltimore/status/1154107910579990534?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
&#8220;He claims to care about children &amp; their future, however in West Baltimore you will find abandoned homes on every block. Many filled with trash, rodents &amp; homeless looking for shelter. Children live on these streets seen here. This district belongs to @RepCummings.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">He claims to care about children &amp; their future, however in West Baltimore you will find abandoned homes on every block. Many filled with trash, rodents &amp; homeless looking for shelter. Children live on these streets seen here. This district belongs to <a href="https://twitter.com/RepCummings?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepCummings</a>. More to come.. <a href="https://t.co/8z7tfIHU0q">pic.twitter.com/8z7tfIHU0q</a>
— Kimberly Klacik (@kimKBaltimore) <a href="https://twitter.com/kimKBaltimore/status/1154392199691460615?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 25, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
&#8220;Let&#8217;s walk through a typical abandoned row house in West Baltimore. You will find at least one of these on every street. According to residents, there is an uptick in homeless thanks to the increase in drug inventory post 2015 riots. This is 
@RepCummings district, more to come&#8230;&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Let&#8217;s walk through a typical abandoned row house in West Baltimore. You will find at least one of these on every street. According to residents, there is an uptick in homeless thanks to the increase in drug inventory post 2015 riots. This is <a href="https://twitter.com/RepCummings?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepCummings</a> district, more to come&#8230; <a href="https://t.co/KOu87Mqlys">pic.twitter.com/KOu87Mqlys</a>
— Kimberly Klacik (@kimKBaltimore) <a href="https://twitter.com/kimKBaltimore/status/1154490922110980096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 25, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
&#8220;8 blocks of row houses in West Baltimore are currently using water through a system hooked to the fire hydrants. Please listen to Michelle, a life long resident, discuss the water &amp; her message to city officials. This is @RepCummings 
district.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">8 blocks of row houses in West Baltimore are currently using water through a system hooked to the fire hydrants. Please listen to Michelle, a life long resident, discuss the water &amp; her message to city officials. This is <a href="https://twitter.com/RepCummings?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepCummings</a> district. More to come&#8230; <a href="https://t.co/jBHBzYxtaA">pic.twitter.com/jBHBzYxtaA</a>
— Kimberly Klacik (@kimKBaltimore) <a href="https://twitter.com/kimKBaltimore/status/1154744775037374465?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
&#8220;Residents constantly call the city to remove trash, no one shows up for months. Rats &amp; roaches are a problem in almost every home. Illegal immigrants at the border live in better conditions than Americans in West Baltimore. This is @RepCummings district.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Residents constantly call the city to remove trash, no one shows up for months. Rats &amp; roaches are a problem in almost every home. Illegal immigrants at the border live in better conditions than Americans in West Baltimore. This is <a href="https://twitter.com/RepCummings?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepCummings</a> district.
More to come&#8230; <a href="https://t.co/rso3yxWh5f">pic.twitter.com/rso3yxWh5f</a>
— Kimberly Klacik (@kimKBaltimore) <a href="https://twitter.com/kimKBaltimore/status/1154796324262424580?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>

WATCH: Video Emerges Of Elijah Cummings Calling Baltimore ‘Drug Infested’

2020 Election

Drugs

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson is playing peacemaker between President Trump and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) in the wake of the president&#8217;s blistering attack over the weekend on the city of Baltimore, in which he referred to Cummings&#8217; district as &#8220;rat-infested&#8221; — a charge seemingly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/49999/trump-called-racist-saying-baltimore-rat-infested-amanda-prestigiacomo">supported by the evidence</a>.
Speaking on <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/ben-carson-trump-cummings-baltimore">Tucker Carlson&#8217;s Fox News&#8217; program</a> Monday night, Ben Carson said President Trump cares deeply about the people of Baltimore and that he would even be willing to work with Cummings to help the &#8220;suffering&#8221; city. Carson cited Trump&#8217;s policies, including his support of economic opportunity zones, as evidence of his work to help impoverished communities.
&#8220;Well, first of all, you know, as a pediatric neurosurgeon, I spent many hours, sometimes operating all night long trying to give children of Baltimore and other places around the world a second chance at life,&#8221; Carson said. &#8220;And usually, we were successful. But a few days later, I was in a horrible dilemma, because some of those kids had to go back into homes in East Baltimore that were infested with rats and roaches and ticks and mold and lead and violence.&#8221;
Carson admitted that he regretted sending those children back to East Baltimore and would have gladly had them stay in the hospital an extra day or two just to keep them safe. He thanked God for the fact he can actually do something to help those children as President Trump&#8217;s HUD secretary.
&#8220;Fortunately, God’s given me an opportunity to do something about it. And that’s one of the reasons I’m delighted to be in this administration,&#8221; Carson continued. &#8220;You know, while I was there, I worked on a lot of issues with many politicians, including Elijah Cummings, particularly in terms of childhood education and improving &#8230; life for the people.&#8221;
Carson defended both President Trump&#8217;s and Elijah Cummings&#8217; character, praising them both for trying to help people and adding that the two could potentially work together in the service of Baltimore.
&#8220;I don’t think Elijah Cummings is a bad person,&#8221; Carson said. &#8220;I think he actually is working hard to try to help people. And I certainly don’t think President Trump is a bad person. He’s working very hard — in fact, I asked him today, would you be willing to work with Elijah Cummings to bring some relief to the people of Baltimore? He said he would be happy to.&#8221;
For now, however, Carson said that President Trump will be focusing on programs like economic opportunity zones — which give businesses a tax incentive to invest in underserved communities.
&#8220;There are 149 of them in Maryland. And, you know, Governor Hogan is doing a good job of helping to capitalize upon that,&#8221; said Carson. &#8220;But, also, you know, unemployment is at a very low level. Manufacturing is coming back. Wages are going up, you know, prison reform. All of these things are happening. These are not things that a person who is a racist would do. And we allow ourselves to be distracted by these things.&#8221;
“And I think what President Trump was trying to say is that rather than spending your time talking about, you know, our brave border agents and investigating endlessly things that you can’t find anything on, why not spend some time working more for these people, you know, who are suffering?&#8221; Carson concluded. &#8220;And that he is willing to work with them. I think that’s what we should be asking for.&#8221;

Menu

Baltimore

Ex-Baltimore Mayor Will Reportedly Plead Guilty To Perjury

Baltimore Pastor Vows To Continue Services Despite Police Threat, Another Pastor’s Arrest

Baltimore Mayor: Stop Shooting Each Other. We Need The Hospital Beds.

UPDATE: Baltimore Mayor Sentenced To Multiple Years Behind Bars For Children’s Book Scam

Federal Prosecutors Recommend Hard Time For Ex-Baltimore Mayor, Reveal New Details On Children’s Book Scandal

Baltimore Surpasses Highest Murder Rate Ever

Drunk Driving, Pulling A Gun On Someone For Spilling Tea: Baltimore Cops Have ‘Ugly’ Year

WATCH: Baltimore Mayor Dodges Responsibility For Skyrocketing Murder Rate: ‘I’m Not Committing The Murders’

WILLIAMS: Racist Exam Questions?

Baltimore Restaurant Accused Of Racism After Posting This Dress Code

WILLIAMS: Was Trump Right About Baltimore?

Baltimore Sun Rips Trump Supporter For Cleaning Up Baltimore. Philanthropist Fires Back With One Hell Of An Offer.

WATCH: Trump Critics Presented With ‘Racist’ Comments About Baltimore, Then Learn Who Actually Said Them

Reporter Confronts Residents About Trump’s Baltimore Comments. They Demolish The Left’s Narrative, Heckle Al Sharpton.

WATCH: Elijah Cummings Wants Trump To Visit Baltimore

Trump Supporters Clean Up West Baltimore And The Liberal Media Are Irritated

Trump Tweets ‘Really Bad News’ About Break-In At Elijah Cummings’ Baltimore House

REPORT: Elijah Cummings’ Baltimore Home Was Burglarized

WATCH: Video Emerges Of Elijah Cummings Calling Baltimore ‘Drug Infested’

Ben Carson: Trump ‘Willing To Work’ With Elijah Cummings To Help ‘Suffering’ Baltimore

Menu

Baltimore

Ex-Baltimore Mayor Will Reportedly Plead Guilty To Perjury

Baltimore Pastor Vows To Continue Services Despite Police Threat, Another Pastor’s Arrest

Baltimore Mayor: Stop Shooting Each Other. We Need The Hospital Beds.

UPDATE: Baltimore Mayor Sentenced To Multiple Years Behind Bars For Children’s Book Scam

Federal Prosecutors Recommend Hard Time For Ex-Baltimore Mayor, Reveal New Details On Children’s Book Scandal

Baltimore Surpasses Highest Murder Rate Ever

Drunk Driving, Pulling A Gun On Someone For Spilling Tea: Baltimore Cops Have ‘Ugly’ Year

WATCH: Baltimore Mayor Dodges Responsibility For Skyrocketing Murder Rate: ‘I’m Not Committing The Murders’

WILLIAMS: Racist Exam Questions?

Baltimore Restaurant Accused Of Racism After Posting This Dress Code

WILLIAMS: Was Trump Right About Baltimore?

Baltimore Sun Rips Trump Supporter For Cleaning Up Baltimore. Philanthropist Fires Back With One Hell Of An Offer.

WATCH: Trump Critics Presented With ‘Racist’ Comments About Baltimore, Then Learn Who Actually Said Them

Reporter Confronts Residents About Trump’s Baltimore Comments. They Demolish The Left’s Narrative, Heckle Al Sharpton.

WATCH: Elijah Cummings Wants Trump To Visit Baltimore

Trump Supporters Clean Up West Baltimore And The Liberal Media Are Irritated

Trump Tweets ‘Really Bad News’ About Break-In At Elijah Cummings’ Baltimore House

REPORT: Elijah Cummings’ Baltimore Home Was Burglarized

WATCH: Video Emerges Of Elijah Cummings Calling Baltimore ‘Drug Infested’

Ben Carson: Trump ‘Willing To Work’ With Elijah Cummings To Help ‘Suffering’ Baltimore

Don't miss a beat of our coverage.