Baltimore police investigating burglary at Cummings' home

Police in Baltimore said Thursday they are investigating a report of a break-in at the home of Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings that occurred early Saturday morning. 

In a statement, Baltimore City Police said the reported burglary happened at around 3:40 a.m. on July 27 in the Druid Hill neighborhood of Baltimore, where public records show Cummings has an apartment. The department said it was unknown whether anything was taken from the property.

The timing of the break-in places it several hours before President Trump’s first tweet attacking Cummings and the Maryland district he represents, which came at 7:14 a.m. that morning.

The president called Cummings’ district, which includes large parts of downtown Baltimore and stretches to the Maryland suburbs, a “rat and rodent infested mess” and has sustained those attacks in the days since, at one point accusing Cummings of being a “racist” himself.

Reached by text message on Thursday afternoon, Cummings said the president’s flurry of tweets had already begun when the break-in occurred, but did not explain that apparent conflict with the timing given by the police. He also did not say whether he believed the burglary was linked to the president’s tweets and referred further questions to the Baltimore police.

Cummings serves as chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee and has been one of the president’s most strident critics in Congress, overseeing sweeping investigations into his administration and business practices.