Johns Hopkins University President Ronald J. Daniels and nine other leaders of anchor institutions in Baltimore co-authored an op-ed published by The Baltimore Sun today praising Baltimore as a vibrant, creative city populated by Americans who "deserve respect, support and steadfast partnership from elected officials at every level."

The letter—published two days after President Donald Trump took to Twitter to deride U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings' congressional district, which includes much of Baltimore, as "a disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess" and a "very dangerous & filthy place"—was signed by Daniels; Kevin Plank, founder, CEO and chairman of the board at Under Armour; Eddie Brown, chair, CEO, and founder of Brown Capital Management; Lisa Hamilton, president and CEO at Annie E. Casey Foundation; Michael Hankin, president and CEO at Brown Advisory; Freeman Hrabowski, president of UMBC; Tim Regan, president and CEO at Whiting Turner; Kurt Schmoke, president of the University of Baltimore; Bill Stromberg, president and CEO at T.Rowe Price; and David Wilson, president of Morgan State University.

"We see the promise of Baltimore because we are fortunate to work, serve and live here, alongside our colleagues, employees, students and neighbors," they wrote.

More from The Sun:

We are proud and privileged to call Baltimore home. Baltimore is a city of creativity, optimism, and determination. Home to leading public and private research universities, world-class medical institutions, and a diverse business community, Baltimore is a city where both artists and start-ups thrive. From creating one of the nation's first racially integrated library systems to producing today's modern medical and technological breakthroughs, our city has a proud legacy of leadership in improving lives and setting a national example for a stronger tomorrow. It's no wonder we are often named as a place where millennials are moving and staying. This is a city where people not only want to live, but love to live. That is why we, as leaders of 10 of Baltimore's anchor institutions, reject the recent unfair and ungenerous characterizations of our great city and its region. Like so many cities across America, Baltimore is a place of paradox, at once vibrant and full of promise and yet also burdened by the weight of generations of racial and economic inequities, deindustrialization, and disinvestment. Like other cities of our size and history, we face urgent challenges with crime, housing equity and our education system. But like all Americans, Baltimoreans deserve respect, support and steadfast partnership from elected officials at every level.

Read the op-ed in its entirety in The Baltimore Sun