County Exec Responds To Trump Tweets Targeting Baltimore City

BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD — Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski over the weekend called tweets by President Donald Trump targeting Baltimore City and U.S. Congressman Elijah Cummings an “attack on basic decency.” He continued, saying Trump’s words have no place in politics or society.

Olszewski’s statement was in response to tweets made by the president over the weekend. In the tweets, Trump took aim at Cummings, a federal lawmaker who lives in Baltimore.

Baltimore City was caught in the crossfire as Trump called it a "disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess," and he urged Cummings to spend more time there than worrying about the nation's southern border. Cummings, who is from Baltimore, responded by calling on the president to follow through with prescription drug regulation reform.

In his statement posted to Twitter, Olszewski said he proudly stands with Cummings.

In light of the president's accusations surrounding Baltimore, Olszewski also told the Washington Post Saturday that it's "certainly ironic that the president’s own son-in-law was complicit in contributing to some of the neglect that the president purports to be so concerned about."

Olszewski is referring to Jared Kushner, whose company, Kushner Cos., has owned almost 9,000 rental units across 17 complexes, many of them in Baltimore County. Kushner stepped down as chief executive of the company in 2017 when he became a senior White House adviser.

In 2017, Baltimore County inspectors identified and cited more than 200 code violations in properties owned by Kushner. Tenants complained about the company, saying it would leave their homes in disrepair, humiliate late-paying renters and often sue them when they tried to move out.

After threatening to withhold HUD rental payments and levy fines, necessary repairs were made in all but nine properties.

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