'How Is Newark Doing?' Trump Mocks. 'Awesome,' City Replies

NEWARK, NJ — President Donald Trump stood at a podium in Iowa earlier in October, freshly returned to the campaign trail after his bout with the coronavirus. Stopping in Des Moines to pump up his supporters, the president decided to pull out a trump card that he’s repeatedly used as a metaphor for a “failed” city: Newark, New Jersey.

“We’re not going to destroy the American Dream for stupid people like Cory Booker,” Trump said, trolling the U.S. senator and former mayor of Newark, who ended his presidential run in January.

“Yeah, he did a great job as mayor,” Trump mocked. “That worked out. How’s Newark doing?”

It wasn’t the first time Trump has dumped on New Jersey’s largest city or Booker’s track record at its helm.

In 2018, the president went on a sidebar and blasted the senator for “running Newark into the ground” during a news conference to announce a trade agreement. “He was a horrible mayor,” Trump quipped.

• See related article: Cory Booker 'Ran Newark Into The Ground' As Mayor, Trump Says

But just as it did then, the president’s latest jab at the Brick City didn’t go unanswered.

Booker — who hasn’t been shy about going toe-to-toe with Trump on Twitter — offered one of the first responses in defense of Newark, where he currently lives.

“Stop attacking Newark and do your damn job,” the senator tweeted back.

• See related article: Sen. Cory Booker Says President Trump's Twitter Jab At Him Is 'Racist'
• See related article: Booker Blasts Trump For Tweet On Affordable Housing

Booker's Republican opponent in this year's election, Rik Metha, piggybacked off Trump's tweet with his own.

"[Cory Booker], you drove Newark into a public health disaster and our kids are still drinking lead water," Mehta wrote. "BTW, where did the Facebook money go? Why don't you sit this one out."

Booker didn’t stand alone, however. A flood of social media posts soon followed, lambasting Trump for stereotyping and mischaracterizing their hometown. Seen online:

One of the most poignant replies, however, was Twitter user @e_rock1980, who said that Newark is a much better place than people give it credit for.

“Let's go through some of the reasons why it's one place that I and my family love to spend our time,” the Brick City supporter wrote.

MUSEUM - "First, the Newark Museum has one of the greatest Tibetan collections anywhere, one of the nation's best African Art galleries, U.S. landscapes, a science wing, and an historic preserved Newark house all in one museum ... incredible experience." READ MORE: Newark Museum Of Art Earns 2 'Critical' Coronavirus Grants

RESTAURANTS - "Second, the Ironbound section of the City of Newark has a truly impressive array of Portuguese and Brazilian restaurants and shops, and the time I spent there inspired me to read more about Portuguese history and culture and eventually to even make the trip to Portugal in 2013." READ MORE: Love For Brazilian Cooking Is Secret To Newark Bakery's Success

HISTORY - "Third, the New Jersey Historical Society has informative and entertaining book talks and lectures on local history and impressive exhibits, my favorite so far was on the book 'Jersey Gold' about a company from Newark that went west during the California Gold Rush."

HOCKEY - "Fourth, the New Jersey Devils have a great arena in the city whose food stands also feature some local cuisine, and the Devils truly are 'Jersey's Team' because they're the only pro sports team in the state that doesn't pretend to be a NY team." READ MORE: Devils Owners Commit $20 Million to Fight Systematic Racism

CATHEDRAL - "Fifth, the Newark Archdiocese has one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the whole of the United States, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart." READ MORE: Father Ordained As Father On Father's Day In Newark

CHERRY BLOSSOMS - "Sixth, Branch Brook Park in Newark has more cherry blossoms in the spring than Washington D.C. does, and is one of the best places anywhere to just meander along the paths and take in the natural beauty in the middle of NJ's largest city." READ MORE: Cherry Blossom Festival 2020 Canceled Due To Coronavirus

“Yes, Newark has its problems as many cities that have faced decades of neglect and lack of investment have,” @e_rock1980 continued. “But [President Trump] has zero solutions, just racist dog whistles and policies that will do nothing to get the people of Newark or anywhere health care or living wages.”

The city's defiant stance toward Trump's repeated insults has been embraced by its current mayor, Ras Baraka, who offered a fierce response after the president accused Booker of running Newark into the ground in 2018.

"Newark is a national leader in developing new ways to create affordable housing, building trust between community and police, enlisting corporations to hire local residents, protecting undocumented immigrants and bringing the arts to every neighborhood," Baraka said.

Baraka continued:

“There are construction cranes everywhere, billions of dollars in development is taking place, crime is down, and we have the nation's fastest fiber internet network. This success is the result of the work of my administration, the collaboration of our stakeholders and residents, the momentum begun by Senator Cory Booker when he was mayor and his continued effective work to deliver for Newark. If Donald Trump thinks otherwise, he should come to Newark and see the amazing things happening here with his own eyes. It is Trump that is running America into the ground.”

If recent tweets are any indication, however, Trump's ongoing feud with Newark and Booker isn't over yet.

The president's latest claim that Booker "never even lived in Newark when he was mayor" is yet again opening the floodgates on social media, with many people saying that the proof is just a Google search away.

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