Baltimore's Iconic Filmmaker John Waters Sums Up What Everyone in the City Thinks About Trump

Baltimore's revered artist and filmmaker, John Waters, responded to President Trump's racist attacks on Baltimore and its Representative Elijah Cummings. He issued a statement to ARTnews and then spoke live on MSNBC.

ARTnews: Among those who came out in support of Cummings is beloved Baltimore artist and filmmaker John Waters, whose famous film Hairspray is considered a love letter to the city. In an email to ARTnews, Waters said, “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!”

Waters repeated his comments and a bit more on Joy Reid's show, AM Joy.

Waters on AM Joy, quoted by Mediate: “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,” he added."

At one point Waters said, “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 may be right. There is already some evidence that white working class women are rejecting a 2020 campaign strategy based on race. Trump's increasing divisive rhetoric may also undermine his standing with independents and motivate a record number of blacks to donate, volunteer and vote in 2020.

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By Don & Curated Content

photo credit: PEN American Center