#BaltimoreCleanUp: Volunteers clean up city streets after Trump criticisms

Scott Presler, an outspoken conservative activist, responded to the president’s remarks with a call to action, tweeting “Next week, I’m coming to Baltimore. I’m organizing a trash clean up in the city. If you’re free on a week day, after work, please comment below for more details. #WeAreBaltimore.”

The tweet drew nearly 250 volunteers to Baltimore on Monday, who energetically cleaned trash from the streets. Presler’s efforts, in addition to organizing the work crews, included providing food, water, dumpsters, and portable bathrooms for the volunteers to use while they worked.

“This is not political,” said Presler, an avowed Trump supporter. “We saw a need in the city, and we wanted to come together.” Some were wary of Presler’s motivations after tense, public feuding over Trump’s tweets about Baltimore dominated national headlines.

“These must be the good ones,” said Baltimore resident Sondra Rae of the conservative-led volunteer group. “I don’t like Trump, but what they are doing is fantastic.”

Presler and his crew of volunteers were also joined by West Baltimore Pastor Tony Hill who said, “It’s people over politics. Things like this really forge alliances between neighbors. We have one cause in mind and that’s to clean up Baltimore.”

By Monday afternoon, both #BaltimoreCleanup and #AmercansHelpingAmericans were trending on Twitter. Several volunteers posted before and after shots of the streets they had just helped to clean.