ABOVE: John Waters, Washington Blade photo by Michael Key.
Filmmaker and Baltimore native John Waters clapped back at President Donald Trump over his recent tweets bashing Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) and the city of Baltimore.
The “Hairspray” director responded to Trump’s tweet in a statement to Artnews saying: “Give me the rats and roaches of Baltimore any day over the lies and racism of your Washington, Mr Trump. Come on over to that neighborhood and see if you have the nerve to say it in person!”
….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
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 27, 2019
Waters doubled down on his comments while speaking with Joy Reid on “AM Joy.”
“I lived in that neighborhood, in a predominantly African-American neighborhood in Mr. Cummings’ district for 17 years. I made ‘Hairspray’ when I lived there. And, you know, I never had the slightest bit of trouble. People were lovely to me. And rats and roaches, you know, Baltimore, we work with what we got and we make it better,” Waters told Reid.
Waters added that he didn’t think Trump’s comments were a smart political move.
“I don’t think he cares what I say but the problem is I don’t know how he thinks he’s going to get votes from this, because the people that are racist and that already like him –– they’re already going to vote for him. But the other people that may be starting to crumble—this is going to make them not vote for him. So I don’t even think it’s smart politically,” Waters says.
