Trump praises Elijah Cummings 'strength, passion and wisdom' months after taunting him for Baltimore break-in
Donald Trump has issued a tribute to Elijah Cummings, praising the late congressman for his "strength, passion and wisdom" just months after the president attacked the man's Baltimore district as "rat infested" and taunted him over a break-in at his home.
“My warmest condolences to the family and many friends of Congressman Elijah Cummings,” Mr Trump tweeted. “I got to see first hand the strength, passion and wisdom of this highly respected political leader. His work and voice on so many fronts will be very hard, if not impossible, to replace!"
The comment is a sharp contrast from the row between the two politicians just months ago, when Mr Trump attacked Cummings in a series of scathing attacks that dominated national news and led to claims that Mr Trump is a racist.
Broadly speaking, the death of Cummings has been met with sorrowful goodbyes from those who knew and respected him, with many remembering him for his civil rights advocacy and for creating better conditions in his Baltimore district.
Cummings died overnight from medical complications from longstanding health issues, his office announced. He was 68.
The congressman’s death quickly sent shock waves through the US Capitol, and led speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to order the flags there be held at half-mast. The White House also reportedly flew flags at half-mast.
Ms Pelosi called him a "towering character ... whose stirring voice and steadfast values pushed the Congress and country to rise always to a higher purpose".
"We will miss our champion," Ms Pelosi, a native of Cummings' Baltimore, said in her statement.
It was one of many acts by prominent politicians to honour Cummings, who was the son of a sharecropper who rose to become the chairman of a powerful congressional committee.
“Our nation has lost a mighty fighter for democracy, accountability, equity and justice with the tragic loss of Congressman Elijah Cummings,” wrote Stacey Abrams, a prominent figure in the Democratic Party. “He never forgot that his was borrowed power, which he wielded in defence of the vulnerable and on behalf of the American people.”
The House oversight committee, which he helmed but had not been attending hearings for, also praised him. It postponed a Thursday hearing following the news.
“My heart is broken, as I weep personally and for his family and community,” congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Democratic member of the committee, said. “Elijah Cummings’ unmatched integrity and leadership leaves a remarkable legacy.”
Representative Mark Meadows, a Republican member of the committee who frequently sparred with Cummings, said: “There was no stronger advocate and no better friend than Elijah Cummings. I am heartbroken for his wonderful family and staff—please pray for them. I will miss him dearly.“
Democratic presidential candidates also praised Cummings, with senator Cory Booker calling him a “true leader”, former congressman Beto O’Rourke calling him a “fighter for justice”, senator Kamala Harris labelling him a “giant”, and former vice president Joe Biden calling him a “true public servant”, among other candidates who spoke out.
In his final years, Cummings had become a key figure in the investigations into Mr Trump, including the proposed addition of a citizenship question to the US Census, the use of private email addresses by White House employees and treatment of migrants at the US-Mexico border.
One of the most memorable moments, perhaps, came when Cummings grilled Mr Trump’s personal attorney Michael Cohen this past February.
His death even prompted messages of condolence from those who he bitterly fought with, including Mr Trump himself. The president had few kind words for Cummings, if any, while he was alive, and even raged a racist war of words against the congressman and his Baltimore district.
The president’s adult daughter and White House advisor, Ivanka Trump, also waded in, praising the man who had issued subpoenas for her White House correspondent to determine whether she broke the law in using a private email for public work.
“Elijah Cummings was a dedicated and courageous public servant. A son of sharecroppers, he tirelessly championed his community and country,” she wrote. “May God comfort his loved ones and may he Rest In Peace.”
Cummings’ died at Gilchrist Hospice Care, a Johns Hopkins affiliate in Maryland.
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