CNN anchor Victor Blackwell teared up as he defended his hometown district in Maryland after President Trump called it a “rodent infested mess” as part of a tweet attack on Rep. Elijah Cummings.
Blackwell, who was born in Baltimore, tied the president’s attack on Cummings to his fight earlier this month with congressional “squad” members Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Ayanna Pressley.
Trump told the four freshman congresswomen of color to “go back” to their “crime infested places from which they came.” Blackwell, who is black, said Trump was using a term that is typically used to refer to rodents.
“Donald Trump has tweeted more than 43,000 times. He’s insulted thousands of people, many different types of people,” Blackwell said on CNN. “But when he tweets about infestation, it’s about black and brown people.”
Blackwell highlighted several tweets from Trump criticizing “Ebola infested areas of Africa” and referring to California sanctuary cities as “crime infested.”
“The president says about Congressman Cummings’ district,” the 38-year-old CNN anchor said, who then paused before his voice cracked as he teared up. “‘That no human would want to live there.’ You know who did Mr. President? I did. From the day I was brought home from the hospital to the day I left for college, and a lot of people I care about still do. There are challenges, no doubt. But people are proud of their community.”
“I don’t want to sound self-righteous, but people get up and go to work there. They care for their families there. They love their children who pledge allegiance to the flag just like people who live in districts of congressmen who support you, sir. They are Americans too,” Blackwell said before cutting to commercial.
The CNN anchor’s criticism of the president follows Trump issuing a blistering attack on Cummings and his Baltimore-based congressional district earlier in the day.
“Rep, Elijah Cummings has been a brutal bully, shouting and screaming at the great men & women of Border Patrol about conditions at the Southern Border, when actually his Baltimore district is FAR WORSE and more dangerous,” Trump said Saturday morning on Twitter. “His district is considered the Worst in the USA as proven last week during a Congressional tour, the Border is clean, efficient & 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 & filthy place.”
….As proven last week during a Congressional tour, the Border is clean, efficient & 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 & filthy place
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 27, 2019
