Many Democratic presidential candidates hit President Trump Donald John TrumpSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Pelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Trump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance MORE Saturday after he blasted House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings Elijah Eugene CummingsBlack GOP candidate accuses Behar of wearing black face in heated interview Overnight Health Care: US won't join global coronavirus vaccine initiative | Federal panel lays out initial priorities for COVID-19 vaccine distribution | NIH panel: 'Insufficient data' to show treatment touted by Trump works House Oversight Democrats to subpoena AbbVie in drug pricing probe MORE (D-Md.) over his criticism of the White House’s immigration policy.

Trump hammered Cummings as a “brutal bully” and sought to cast Cummings's Baltimore-area district as “dangerous” and “disgusting,” claiming that the Maryland city was “corrupt” and that “no human being would want to live there.”

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The attacks, and the blowback from the 2020 Democrats, put into finer relief how Trump’s rhetoric toward lawmakers of color is becoming a central issue in next year’s presidential race.

“.@RepCummings is one of the finest people I’ve ever served with. It is despicable for you to attack him and the people of Baltimore this way. Once again you have proved yourself unfit to hold the office. A President is supposed to lift this nation up. Not tear it down,” former Vice President Joe Biden Joe BidenPelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Hillicon Valley: Subpoenas for Facebook, Google and Twitter on the cards | Wray rebuffs mail-in voting conspiracies | Reps. raise mass surveillance concerns Fox News poll: Biden ahead of Trump in Nevada, Pennsylvania and Ohio MORE, the current frontrunner of the crowded primary field, tweeted.

.@RepCummings is one of the finest people I’ve ever served with. It is despicable for you to attack him and the people of Baltimore this way. Once again you have proved yourself unfit to hold the office. A President is supposed to lift this nation up. Not tear it down. — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 27, 2019

Sen. Kamala Harris Kamala HarrisHundreds of lawyers from nation's oldest African American sorority join effort to fight voter suppression Biden picks up endorsement from progressive climate group 350 Action 3 reasons why Biden is misreading the politics of court packing MORE (D-Calif.), another top-tier contender, said she is “proud” her campaign headquarters is in Baltimore and said it was “disgraceful” that Trump was “disparaging this great American city.”

I am proud our campaign headquarters is in Rep. Elijah Cummings' district. Baltimore has become home to my team and it's disgraceful the president has chosen to start his morning disparaging this great American city. — Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) July 27, 2019

Sen. Cory Booker Cory Anthony Booker3 reasons why Biden is misreading the politics of court packing Bipartisan praise pours in after Ginsburg's death DHS opens probe into allegations at Georgia ICE facility MORE (D-N.J.) called the attacks “painful,” adding “silence is toxic complicity.”

This is painful.



This is a moral, defining moment in America.



Other generations had to answer:



When the Know Nothings, McCarthy, Wallace and so many others sought to demean, degrade, demagogue and divide,



What did you do?



We must now answer.



Silence is toxic complicity. https://t.co/FkTw3u4c8g — Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) July 27, 2019

“In his words and in his actions, Trump has been the most openly racist president we’ve had in modern history,” former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke echoed.

Several 2020 contenders called the attacks racist, noting that he often reserves some of his harshest criticism for lawmakers of color.

“I was proud to serve in the House with @RepCummings for many years. He is, above all, a man who serves his constituents and his country with honor and integrity,” Washington Gov. Jay Inslee Jay Robert InsleeBarr asked prosecutors to explore charging Seattle mayor over protest zone: report Bottom line Oregon senator says Trump's blame on 'forest management' for wildfires is 'just a big and devastating lie' MORE tweeted. “Donald Trump, on the other hand, is just a racist who lives in the White House.”

I was proud to serve in the House with @RepCummings for many years. He is, above all, a man who serves his constituents and his country with honor and integrity.



Donald Trump, on the other hand, is just a racist who lives in the White House. — Jay Inslee (@JayInslee) July 27, 2019

“Words MATTER. No one is fooled by Trump's racist dog-whistling,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio Bill de BlasioOVERNIGHT ENERGY: California seeks to sell only electric cars by 2035 | EPA threatens to close New York City office after Trump threats to 'anarchist' cities | House energy package sparks criticism from left and right EPA threatens to close New York City office after Trump threats to 'anarchist' cities New Year's Eve in Times Square to be largely virtual amid pandemic MORE tweeted. “We’re standing with you, @RepCummings.”

We’re standing with you, @RepCummings. — Bill de Blasio (@BilldeBlasio) July 27, 2019

“Mr. Trump always shows his true colors when he‘s nervous or feels attacked. It’s not a coincidence that he continues to lash out at lawmakers of color,” added entrepreneur Tom Steyer Tom SteyerTV ads favored Biden 2-1 in past month Inslee calls Biden climate plan 'perfect for the moment' OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Trump administration finalizes plan to open up Alaska wildlife refuge to drilling | California finalizes fuel efficiency deal with five automakers, undercutting Trump | Democrats use vulnerable GOP senators to get rare win on environment MORE.

Mr. Trump always shows his true colors when he‘s nervous or feels attacked. It’s not a coincidence that he continues to lash out at lawmakers of color. — Tom Steyer (@TomSteyer) July 27, 2019

The attacks on Cummings came after the Maryland Democrat bashed the White House’s hardline immigration policies, which he has likened to “government-sponsored child abuse.”

As chairman of the oversight panel, Cummings is also at the center of an ongoing feud between the administration and House Democrats over Congress’ oversight powers and the White House’s repeated refusal to honor subpoenas from Cummings’ committee.

“Rep. Elijah Cummings has been a brutal bully, shouting and screaming at the great men & women of Border Patrol about conditions at the Southern Border, when actually his Baltimore district is FAR WORSE and more dangerous,” Trump asserted in a tweet.

“His district is considered the Worst in the USA as proven last week during a Congressional tour, the Border is clean, efficient & well run, just very crowded,” Trump continued. “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.”

Trump’s broadsides against Baltimore echo similar remarks he made before his inauguration about civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis John LewisTrump to pay respects to Ginsburg at Supreme Court Democrats urge Biden to resist filibuster, court-packing calls Rep. Bill Pascrell named chair of House oversight panel MORE’ (D-Ga.) district, which he called “crime infested,” leading many to suggest the president has a certain view of districts represented by minority lawmakers.

Both Cummings’ and Lewis’ districts have high levels of education and wealth comparative to other surrounding.

The rebukes to Trump’s Saturday remarks echo those following recent comments Trump made about four progressive congresswomen of color, telling them to the “totally broken and crime infested places from which they came.”

Democrats lambasted Trump, saying the remarks played on historic tropes that people of color should go back to where they belong despite being Americans. The House formally condemned the comments as racist in a vote.

Many 2020 Democrats have repeatedly sought to burnish their appeal by hitting Trump over his comments on race, with Biden saying the president’s reaction to the 2017 rally in Charlottesville, Va., when he said there were “fine people” among both white nationalists and counter-protesters, helped him decide to jump into the race and several others labeling the president as a bigot.