MICHELLE KWAJAFA/AFP/Getty Images) Located in Rep. Elijah Cummings' 7th Congressional District, Baltimore's Inner Harbor is one of Maryland's top tourist attractions.
Residents of Maryland’s 7th Congressional District are defending the beauty and diversity of their communities after President Donald Trump lashed out on Twitter at Democratic Congressman Elijah Cummings.
On July 27, Trump called the district a “disgusting, rat and rodent-infested mess,” and “the worst run and most dangerous anywhere in the United States. Trump added that “no human being would want to live there.” The oddly-shaped district comprises more than half of Baltimore City, along with parts of Baltimore and Howard Counties.
….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
President Trump took the swipe after the congressman criticized the Trump administration’s treatment of migrants seeking asylum in the United States. Chair of the House Oversight Committee, Cummings is angered by the deteriorating conditions at migrant detention facilities and has expressed deep concern for the treatment of children who have been separated from their parents.
Community members, businesses, celebrities, and public officials have taken to social media to stand up for Baltimore to dispel Trump’s negative comments. The hashtags #WeAreBaltimore and #BaltimoreStrong are rapidly trending.
According to the Washington Examiner , Trump’s characterization of the district was far from accurate. “Out of 435 House districts, the median household income in the 7th is in the upper half nationally. At $60,929, it ranks 242, per census data.”
“Mr. President, I go home to my district daily. Each morning, I wake up, and I go and fight for my neighbors,” Cummings tweeted in response to Trump’s remarks. Cummings,68, has represented the 7th District since 1996. He lives in Baltimore with wife Maya Rockeymoore Cummings.
Baltimore’s Inner Harbor is Located in the 7th District
Cummings’ 7th district is home to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, one of Maryland’s top tourist attractions. Inner Harbor is a hub for several nearby sites including the National Aquarium, the Maryland Science Center, and the only US sail-only warship, USS Constellation. Baseball fans can walk to Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
The city’s convention center is just a block away from Inner Harbor, which offers a wide variety of shopping and dining opportunities. Four-star hotels in the area include the Hyatt Regency Baltimore Inner Harbor, Sheraton Inner Harbor, and Kimpton Hotel Monaco Baltimore Inner Harbor.
Johns Hopkins University is in the 7th Congressional District
The Maryland 7th Congressional District is home to Johns Hopkins University, America’s first research university. US News & World Report ranked Johns Hopkins as the tenth best university in the United States and twelfth globally. Admission is highly competitive and only 12% of applicants are accepted.
Johns Hopkins University and the affiliated Johns Hopkins Healthcare System are the two leading employers in the district. A 2013 survey found the university had a staff of approximately 22,000 while the healthcare system has 16,254.
The 7th Congressional District is Home to Historic Ellicott City
Checked out B&O Ellicott City Station Museum yesterday. Built in the 1830s, it’s the oldest surviving station in the country! #RRHistory #MDHistory @hchsmd
Ellicott City is a historic city in Howard County that is also located in Cummings’ district. In 2016, the median household income for Ellicott City residents was $133,839. Nearly 64% of the city’s residents hold a Bachelor degree and just over 36% have a graduate degree.
Old Ellicott City is the community’s main tourism district features art galleries, shops, museums, and restaurants. After three floods devastated the community between 2011-2018, the city has rebuilt, with 78 returning shops and 22 new businesses.
“Everything is new and clean and fresh. Everything has been renovated,” Smith said. “We’ve managed to keep the old Ellicott City charm while updating our retail,” Ellicott City Partnership President Maureen Smith.
Cummings’ District Includes the Social Security Administration
See what you can do online with #SocialSecurity: t.co/3NCVPLVanI
The Baltimore Sun has pushed back against Trump depiction of the 7th, reminding him that Cummings’ district incorporates many high-profile tourist attractions, educational facilities, and government agencies, including the Social Security Administration’s headquarters in Woodlawn and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in Baltimore.
“He wasn’t conjuring images of the U.S. Social Security Administration, where they write the checks that so many retired and disabled Americans depend upon…No, he was returning to an old standby of attacking an African American lawmaker from a majority black district on the most emotional and bigoted of arguments,” the paper wrote.