Trump wasn't wrong. Outside of Johns Hopkins and the harbor, it's a mess. Hogan knows that. Multiple homes on a block boarded up, trash in the streets, prostitutes openly soliciting in broad daylight, I saw all of these things on a recent drive through the city of B-more.

It could also be said about some parts of DC and probably other cities including in poor parts of the south and Appalachia but that doesn't make it any less true. People trying to defend the beauty of Baltimore look stupid. Why cant we just be honest anymore?

Anonymous wrote:I'm no Trump defender by any means, but the corruption in Baltimore City is astounding. Baltimore is often discussed nationally (similar to a Chicago or a Detroit) due to certain statistics, so while I agree that Trump would never identify other struggling areas, it's not unreasonable to single out Baltimore. It DOES need change. I wish that something would/could be done.

There's a big difference between "Baltimore is mismanaged and has problems" and "Baltimore is an infested hellhole no human being wants to live in," no? Especially when you're the president of the US, which includes Baltimore?

I'm no Trump defender by any means, but the corruption in Baltimore City is astounding. Baltimore is often discussed nationally (similar to a Chicago or a Detroit) due to certain statistics, so while I agree that Trump would never identify other struggling areas, it's not unreasonable to single out Baltimore. It DOES need change. I wish that something would/could be done.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

A few years ago wife and I did a quick trip to Baltimore, stayed at a hotel that used to be a train station or something like that (Kimpton ?) and walked to Little Italy for dinner. About the scariest walk we've ever had - lots of young people just staring at us. We Ubered back home - just didn't feel safe and realized we didn't know the area we were walking thorough well enough.

You can't see me, but I'm staring at you too. In astonishment.

+1 If that's the scariest walk you've ever had, you must not get out much.

What I didn't add was that we were followed by a group laughing out loud at us - is that good enough?

Seriously, PP. A walk from a hotel near Camden Station, to Little Italy, for dinner? And you just didn't feel safe...

BUT TOTALLY NOT RACIST!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

A few years ago wife and I did a quick trip to Baltimore, stayed at a hotel that used to be a train station or something like that (Kimpton ?) and walked to Little Italy for dinner. About the scariest walk we've ever had - lots of young people just staring at us. We Ubered back home - just didn't feel safe and realized we didn't know the area we were walking thorough well enough.

You can't see me, but I'm staring at you too. In astonishment.

+1 If that's the scariest walk you've ever had, you must not get out much.

What I didn't add was that we were followed by a group laughing out loud at us - is that good enough?

Seriously, PP. A walk from a hotel near Camden Station, to Little Italy, for dinner? And you just didn't feel safe...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

A few years ago wife and I did a quick trip to Baltimore, stayed at a hotel that used to be a train station or something like that (Kimpton ?) and walked to Little Italy for dinner. About the scariest walk we've ever had - lots of young people just staring at us. We Ubered back home - just didn't feel safe and realized we didn't know the area we were walking thorough well enough.

You can't see me, but I'm staring at you too. In astonishment.

+1 If that's the scariest walk you've ever had, you must not get out much.

What I didn't add was that we were followed by a group laughing out loud at us - is that good enough?

I firmly believe that Trump uses Twitter, Fox and the media as a smoke screen to make it easier for him to work on his personal agenda. He gets Congress, the media and the public focused on stupid things like a stupid tweet storm and then he can work on things like pushing his conservative judicial nominees, reorganization of government agencies and other internal legerdemain with less scrutiny. If Congress is spending time trying to pass bills to sanction or impeach him or to pass a condemnation of his comments, then they are spending less time on interviewing, researching and scrutinizing his judicial nominees or trying to counter his efforts to redirect money to the wall and other agenda issues. If he can split their attention, the things that he really cares about get far less examination.

That said, the amazing hypocrisy of his comments no longer astounds me. Trump's comments about Baltimore are so hysterical since a major player in continuing the rat infested slum is his on slum-in-law, Jared Kushner. Kushner owns thousands of units of property in Baltimore that are low-rent disasters and he does not take care of them as he should. He has been cited and fined for hundreds of illegal violations of health and safety. The slumlord is much more likely to be both responsible for the mess and able to fix the issues than the Congressman who has absolutely nothing to do with local management of the issues. The mayor and governor have a lot more responsibility and power to effect change than the US congressman.

Some details about the Kushner ghetto:
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/07/jared-kushner-baltimore-properties

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eastern KY has the lowest quality of life in the country. Five of its counties are in the bottom ten in the US.

Why doesn't Trump lambaste the elected officials there? Why doesn't he talk about it as "a place no human being would want to live"?

Hmmmm, we can only wonder[b]...

+1 Can't imagine. And Trump would never set foot in Kentucky except for one of his campaign rallies.

Well, because the leaders on that state will probably not attack Trump?

Not sure what you are talking about. Hogan doesn't attack Trump unless absolutely forced.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

A few years ago wife and I did a quick trip to Baltimore, stayed at a hotel that used to be a train station or something like that (Kimpton ?) and walked to Little Italy for dinner. About the scariest walk we've ever had - lots of young people just staring at us. We Ubered back home - just didn't feel safe and realized we didn't know the area we were walking thorough well enough.

You can't see me, but I'm staring at you too. In astonishment.

+1 If that's the scariest walk you've ever had, you must not get out much.

Anonymous wrote:

A few years ago wife and I did a quick trip to Baltimore, stayed at a hotel that used to be a train station or something like that (Kimpton ?) and walked to Little Italy for dinner. About the scariest walk we've ever had - lots of young people just staring at us. We Ubered back home - just didn't feel safe and realized we didn't know the area we were walking thorough well enough.

You can't see me, but I'm staring at you too. In astonishment.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Baltimore is a scandalous mess, we all agree on that.

We also agree that Trump lashes out childishly, and often below the belt, at people who examine his supposed misdeeds or voice criticism of his incredibly incompetent and divisive presidency.

He does not have the poise and self-control of a President and the fact that some people like that is extremely disturbing.

I don't agree that Baltimore is a scandalous mess. It's in no worse shape than many red state areas--Trump just likes to attack people of color who would never vote for him.

Aren't you actually agreeing with the point, though? Many of those red state areas are scandalous messes, as well.

Your final point is absolutely incontrovertible, though.

Many many areas of the United States have a problem with gun violence, even some garlic festivals in the San Francisco area. That doesn't make Baltimore an outlier as a "scandalous mess." I personally like Baltimore a lot and go there regularly from DC for tourism, specialist medical care and good food.

A few years ago wife and I did a quick trip to Baltimore, stayed at a hotel that used to be a train station or something like that (Kimpton ?) and walked to Little Italy for dinner. About the scariest walk we've ever had - lots of young people just staring at us. We Ubered back home - just didn't feel safe and realized we didn't know the area we were walking thorough well enough.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eastern KY has the lowest quality of life in the country. Five of its counties are in the bottom ten in the US.

Why doesn't Trump lambaste the elected officials there? Why doesn't he talk about it as "a place no human being would want to live"?

Hmmmm, we can only wonder[b]...

+1 Can't imagine. And Trump would never set foot in Kentucky except for one of his campaign rallies.

Well, because the leaders on that state will probably not attack Trump?

Anonymous wrote:Eastern KY has the lowest quality of life in the country. Five of its counties are in the bottom ten in the US.

Why doesn't Trump lambaste the elected officials there? Why doesn't he talk about it as "a place no human being would want to live"?

Hmmmm, we can only wonder...

+1 Can't imagine. And Trump would never set foot in Kentucky except for one of his campaign rallies.

Eastern KY has the lowest quality of life in the country. Five of its counties are in the bottom ten in the US.

Why doesn't Trump lambaste the elected officials there? Why doesn't he talk about it as "a place no human being would want to live"?

Hmmmm, we can only wonder...

Yeah, that's not much of a defense.

Imagine what someone like William Donald Shaffer would have said!