Trump Calls Sharpton 'Conman' Ahead Of Visit To Baltimore

By Staff Reporter
Posted on 07/29/19 | News Source: WBAL TV

Sharpton: "If (Trump) really thought I was a conman, he would be nominating me to his cabinet."

Balimore, MD - A slew of tweets from the president Monday morning once again put Baltimore in the limelight. This time, tweets were directed at the Rev. Al Sharpton ahead of his visit to the city, calling him a conman and saying he hates whites and cops.

The first tweet from President Donald Trump came at 6:30 a.m. in response to a tweet from the Civil Rights activist who said he had he arrived in D.C. and was heading to Baltimore.

"I have known Al for 25 years. Went to fights with him & Don King, always got along well. He 'loved Trump!' He would ask me for favors often. Al is a con man, a troublemaker, always looking for a score. Just doing his thing. Must have intimidated Comcast/NBC. Hates Whites & Cops!"

The tweets then took a turn away from Sharpton and were directed once again to U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings, referring to him as "King Elijah."

At 6:49 a.m., the president tweeted: "Baltimore, under the leadership of Elijah Cummings, has the worst Crime Statistics in the Nation. 25 years of all talk, no action! So tired of listening to the same old Bull...Next, Reverend Al will show up to complain & protest. Nothing will get done for the people in need. Sad!"

At 7:04 a.m., the president tweeted: "If the Democrats are going to defend the Radical Left 'Squad' and King Elijah’s Baltimore Fail, it will be a long road to 2020. The good news for the Dems is that they have the Fake News Media in their pocket!"

Trump then returned the direction of his tweets back to Sharpton, calling him a conman.

At 7:26 a.m., Trump tweeted: "Al Sharpton would always ask me to go to his events. He would say, 'It's a personal favor to me.' Seldom, but sometimes, I would go. It was fine. He came to my office in T.T. during the presidential campaign to apologize for the way he was talking about me. Just a conman at work!"

Sharpton tweeted once just before 7 a.m., saying the president sand a different tune back in 2006.

"Trump at NAN Convention 2006 telling James Brown and Jesse Jackson why he respects my work. Different tune now."

Sharpton didn't hold back on his thoughts of Trump's tweets during a press conference held at 9:30 a.m., saying, "If (Trump) really thought I was a conman, he would be nominating me to his cabinet."

The conference, held with former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, was originally scheduled to discuss the black economic agenda and bipartisan outrage in the black community, but a lot of time was put into addressing the president's tweets.

"Little did I know that Mr. Trump, on the eve of this (conference), attack the Congressman from this city. And not only the Congressman, but the people of the city, in the most bigoted and racist way," Sharpton said.

Sharpton said Trump is not mature enough to take criticism and likened him to a child.

"He has a particular venom for blacks and people of color" Sharpton said. "(Trump) doesn't refer to any of his other opponents or critics as 'infested.' He does not attack their districts."

Sharpton came to the defense of Cummings, saying his district is the most educated and middle class-aspiring district blacks in the United States.

"For (Trump) to be angry at Mr. Cummings because Mr. Cummings has the moral standard to question how migrant children are being treated at the border is an abomination to me," Sharpton said.

At 8:46 a.m., the president tweeted: "Crazy Bernie Sanders recently equated the City of Baltimore to a THIRD WORLD COUNTRY! Based on that statement, I assume that Bernie must now be labeled a Racist, just as a Republican would if he used that term and standard! The fact is, Baltimore can be brought back, maybe..."

"....even to new heights of success and glory, but not with King Elijah and that crew. When the leaders of Baltimore want to see the City rise again, I am in a very beautiful oval shaped office waiting for your call!"

Gov. Larry Hogan, speaking on WBAL NewsRadio 1090 AM's "C4 Show" Monday morning, spoke about the president's tweets, saying: "The comments are just outrageous and inappropriate, and the irony is, you talk about the National Governors Association, I had just delivered a nationally televised address on live TV addressing the nation's governors, talking about this exact point, talking about the angry and divisive politics that are literally tearing America apart, that governors have found a better way to govern and move forward but that Washington is just completely consumed with angry and divisive politics, divisiveness and dysfunction, and then 14 hours later, we get this tweet that sets off another firestorm of angry tweets back and forth -- the president attacking Elijah Cummings and Baltimore and his district, and other people have been firing back. I think, enough is enough. I mean, people are just completely fed up with this kind of nonsense, and why are we not focused on solving the problems and getting to work instead of who's tweeting what and who's calling who what kind of names? It's just absurd."

After slamming Cummings and Baltimore in a series of tweets Saturday, Trump took to Twitter again just a day later to call the Maryland congressman a racist.