Al Sharpton blasts Trump for 'racist and bigoted' tweets: 'He has a particular venom for blacks and people of color'


Al Sharpton tore into President Trump on Monday after both he and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) were targeted in a series of tweets, saying the president has a "particular venom for blacks and people of color."
Sharpton spoke in Baltimore after Trump over the weekend went after Cummings and said that his district is a "disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess" where "no human being would want to live." The president also went after Sharpton on Monday, calling him a "con man" and "troublemaker" who "hates whites."
Sharpton in response said that Trump had gone after Baltimore "in the most bigoted and racist way" with his tweets, describing the president as someone "not mature enough to take criticism" who is "like a child." He also pointed to Trump's tweets as evidence that the president "has a particular venom for blacks and people of color," as he "doesn't refer to any of his other opponents or critics as 'infested.'"
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
When it comes to the tweets that targeted him specifically, Sharpton declared that "yes, I make trouble for bigots" and said that "if [Trump] really thought I was a con man, he would be nominating me for his cabinet. So he doesn't believe that." Brendan Morrow
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
How generative AI is changing the way we write and speak
In The Spotlight ChatGPT and other large language model tools are quietly influencing which words we use
-
How long can Nato keep Donald Trump happy?
Today's Big Question Military alliance pulls out all the stops to woo US president on his peacemaker victory lap
-
Easy Money: the Charles Ponzi Story – an 'enlightening' podcast
The Week Recommends Apple Original podcast explores the 'fascinating' tale of the man who gave the investment scam its name
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster show
Speed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top Grammys
Speed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own room
Speed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamation
Speed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia