Several Republican lawmakers have disputed Donald Trump's claim that African American congressman Elijah Cummings is a racist, but many still refuse to condemn his inflammatory comments about Baltimore.

The US president called the Baltimore-district Mr Cummings represents a “disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess” where “no human would want to live” in a series of insulting tweets over the weekend.

In a later tweet he went on to call the Democratic congressman a “racist”.

During the course of his presidency, Republicans have been reluctant to criticise Mr Trump for his controversial comments on a range of issues with many claiming not to have seen his tweets.

But several Republican lawmakers disagreed with Mr Trump's claim that Mr Cummings is racist.

Trump 2020 launch: Fascist Proud Boys, baby blimps and Uncle Sam Show all 30 1 /30 Trump 2020 launch: Fascist Proud Boys, baby blimps and Uncle Sam Trump 2020 launch: Fascist Proud Boys, baby blimps and Uncle Sam Members of the Proud Boys, a fascist group, jeer at anti-Trump protesters outside of the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty Trump 2020 launch: Fascist Proud Boys, baby blimps and Uncle Sam A supporter dressed as Uncle Sam poses at Uncle Sam Reuters Trump 2020 launch: Fascist Proud Boys, baby blimps and Uncle Sam A baby blimp rears its head amidst a group of anti-Trump protesters outside the president't campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty Trump 2020 launch: Fascist Proud Boys, baby blimps and Uncle Sam President Trump addresses supporters at the launch event of his 2020 election campaign in Orlando, Florida Reuters Trump 2020 launch: Fascist Proud Boys, baby blimps and Uncle Sam Proud Boys have adopted Fred Perry polo shirts as their uniform and many members have the name of the group tattooed on their arms Getty Trump 2020 launch: Fascist Proud Boys, baby blimps and Uncle Sam A line of police officers separate opposing groups of protesters outside the launch of President Trump's 2020 campaign launch Getty Trump 2020 launch: Fascist Proud Boys, baby blimps and Uncle Sam A protester hits a Trump punching bag during a protest outside Trump's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty Trump 2020 launch: Fascist Proud Boys, baby blimps and Uncle Sam Twin Trump supporters pose for a photo at the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Reuters Trump 2020 launch: Fascist Proud Boys, baby blimps and Uncle Sam A protester dressed as a caricature of Donald Trump stands outside the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida AP Trump 2020 launch: Fascist Proud Boys, baby blimps and Uncle Sam A Trump supporter faces off against a protester outside the president's campaign launch in Orlando, Florida AFP/Getty Trump 2020 launch: Fascist Proud Boys, baby blimps and Uncle Sam A Proud Boy shouts across the police line at anti-Trump protesters outside the president's campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty Trump 2020 launch: Fascist Proud Boys, baby blimps and Uncle Sam A Trump supporter poses for a photo at the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Reuters Trump 2020 launch: Fascist Proud Boys, baby blimps and Uncle Sam A Proud Boy jeers at anti-Trump protesters who are separated from the president's supporters by a police line outside the president's campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty Trump 2020 launch: Fascist Proud Boys, baby blimps and Uncle Sam A man dressed as Uncle Sam poses at President Trump's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Reuters Trump 2020 launch: Fascist Proud Boys, baby blimps and Uncle Sam An anti-Trump protester faces off against a supporter outside the president's campaign launch in Orlando, Florida AFP/Getty Trump 2020 launch: Fascist Proud Boys, baby blimps and Uncle Sam Members of the Proud Boys, a fascist group, jeer at anti-Trump protesters outside of the president's 2020 campaign launch Getty Trump 2020 launch: Fascist Proud Boys, baby blimps and Uncle Sam A child holds a 2020 US "dollar bill" that features Donald Trump's face at the president's 2020 campaign launch EPA Trump 2020 launch: Fascist Proud Boys, baby blimps and Uncle Sam Anti-Trump protesters rally outside the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty Trump 2020 launch: Fascist Proud Boys, baby blimps and Uncle Sam Anti-Trump protesters rally outside the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty Trump 2020 launch: Fascist Proud Boys, baby blimps and Uncle Sam Numerous baby Trump balloons are raised in protests outside of the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty Trump 2020 launch: Fascist Proud Boys, baby blimps and Uncle Sam A supporter wears a T-shirt depicting Trump as a hero at the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Reuters Trump 2020 launch: Fascist Proud Boys, baby blimps and Uncle Sam President Trump addresses supporters at the launch event of his 2020 election campaign in the Amway Centre in Orlando, Florida AFP/Getty Trump 2020 launch: Fascist Proud Boys, baby blimps and Uncle Sam An anti-Trump protester calls for the president to be impeached outside the launch event for his 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty Trump 2020 launch: Fascist Proud Boys, baby blimps and Uncle Sam Supporters of Donald Trump face off against protesters outside of the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida AP Trump 2020 launch: Fascist Proud Boys, baby blimps and Uncle Sam A baby blimp rises behind a group of anti-Trump protesters outside the president's campaign launch in Orlando, Florida AP Trump 2020 launch: Fascist Proud Boys, baby blimps and Uncle Sam A supporter dressed as Uncle Sam poses at President Trump's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida AP Trump 2020 launch: Fascist Proud Boys, baby blimps and Uncle Sam A member of the Proud Boys, a fascist group, holds a sign up outside of the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida AFP/Getty Trump 2020 launch: Fascist Proud Boys, baby blimps and Uncle Sam A supporter bears a Trump flag at the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Reuters Trump 2020 launch: Fascist Proud Boys, baby blimps and Uncle Sam Protesters hold baby Trump balloons in the rally outside of the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty Trump 2020 launch: Fascist Proud Boys, baby blimps and Uncle Sam An anti-Trump protester holds a sign accusing the president of being a traitor Getty

The most notable defence of Mr Cummings came from congressman Mark Meadows, who is one of Mr Trump's closest allies on Capitol Hill yet maintains a friendship with Mr Cummings. Mr Meadows is a member of the House Oversight Committee, which Mr Cummings chairs.

“I am friends with both men, president Trump and chairman Cummings,” he said. “I know both men well. Neither man is a racist. Period. Both love America. I think if we put aside partisanship with investigations we can find bipartisan solutions that will benefit not only Chairman Cummings' district but the country as a whole.”

He added: “I'm committed to working to that end with both of them.”

Some of the strongest rejections of Mr Trump's attack on Mr Cummings came from senators Lisa Murkowski and Shelley Moore Capito.

“No, I do not - absolutely do not.” Ms Murkowski said when asked if she agreed with Mr Trump that Mr Cummings was a racist.

“I do not agree that Elijah Cummings is a racist,” Ms Capito added. “I served with him for 14 years and I have a lot of respect for him.”

Other Republicans who rejected the US president's assertion also sought to defend Mr Trump against recent criticism that he has made racist comments when attacking minority lawmakers.

“It's my opinion that neither chairman Cummings nor president Trump is a racist,” congressman Thomas Massie said.

Senator Neely Kennedy said: “I don't think either congressman Cummings or president Trump are racist. I think they disagree, but you can disagree with someone's ideas but not disagree with their colour.”

'When he tweets about infestation, it's about black and brown people' CNN anchor gets upset over Trump's latest Tweets

Mr Trump's criticism of Mr Cummings came after the House Oversight Committee chairman was critical of Mr Trump's border officials during a hearing. It also came after his panel authorised subpoenas for personal emails and texts used for official business by top White House aides, including Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner.

“If racist Elijah Cummings would focus more of his energy on helping the good people of his district, and Baltimore itself, perhaps progress could be made in fixing the mess that he has helped to create over many years of incompetent leadership,” Mr Trump tweeted. “His radical 'oversight' is a joke!”

In response, Mr Cummings said that he goes home to his district every night and “each morning, I wake up, and I go and fight for my neighbours.”

He added: “It is my constitutional duty to conduct oversight of the Executive Branch,” he said. “But, it is my moral duty to fight for my constituents.”

A litany of Democratic lawmakers and candidates for the party's presidential nomination have defended Mr Cummings and condemned Mr Trump's tweets.

Maryland governor Larry Hogan, a Republican, said in a radio interview that Mr Trump's comments about Baltimore, the state's largest city, were “outrageous and inappropriate” although he stopped short of calling them racist.

In Congress, the criticism of the president from Republican members was more indirect and gentle.

“Most of the president's tweets are inappropriate. This is one of them, and I'm not going to address every one of them,” said Senator Richard Burr.

Senator Josh Hawley told a reporter that he didn't know the context for Mr Trump calling Mr Cummings a racist. But he stressed that when it came to the residents of Baltimore, “there's no reason to impugn them or the place they call home”.

Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

Senator Kevin Cramer said he hadn't heard Trump's comment either and said “I don't know whether I agree with him or not.”

Mr Cramer added: “I do find it ironic that liberals, they want to be – they, on the one hand, proclaim that we're all equal which our Constitution says and our God says. But then they want to be victims at the same time.”

Several other Republican officials declined to engage in interviews.

“I don't even know what that means,” senator Tim Scott, the chamber's sole African American Republican lawmaker, said when asked whether he agrees with Mr Trump when he called Mr Cummings racist. “I have not responded to that because I don't know how to respond to it.”

Senator Mitt Romney called it the “latest act of political theatre.”