Jared Kushner's troubled Baltimore housing projects could be the 'disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess' Trump tweeted about
- President Donald Trump took aim at living conditions in Baltimore twice in two days, despite his son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner's stake in some of the city's most troubled housing complexes.
- Kushner currently holds ownership of several Baltimore-area housing projects that have been so embroiled in housing violations and mismanagement that Kushner has been called a "slumlord."
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President Donald Trump took aim at living conditions in Baltimore twice in two days, despite his son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner's stake in some of the city's most troubled housing complexes.
Trump attacked Rep. Elijah Cummings and his Baltimore district on Twitter, seemingly echoing comments on a "Fox & Friends" episode that compared the city of Baltimore to the conditions in detention centers at the southern US border, calling the city a "disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess"
Trump also tweeted "Why is so much money sent to the Elijah Cummings district when it is considered the worst run and most dangerous anywhere in the United States. No human being would want to live there. Where is all this money going? How much is stolen? Investigate this corrupt mess immediately!"
Kushner himself has continued ownership of several Baltimore-area housing projects that have been so embroiled in housing violations and mismanagement that Kushner has been called a "slumlord."
A 2017 investigation by ProPublica and The New York Times called "The Beleaguered Tenants of Kushnerville" detailed how the shadowy company functions and the poor living conditions that plagued residents in complexes bought under Kushner's oversight.
The investigation reported decrepit conditions including leaking ceilings, maggots in living room carpet, and raw human sewage coming from a kitchen sink. The report also includes mention of multiple retaliatory lawsuits against tenants who tried to move out.
Residents said in lawsuits they noticed near-constant but largely unexplained fees that would ultimately end up aiding their eviction if they weren't paid.
The cases are currently ongoing, as the Kushner Cos. switched the suit to state court after a federal judge ordered the company to reveal the identity of mysterious company investors.
Whether Trump is aware of the complexes where it seems "no human being would want to live" or not, the housing troubles tied to Kushner haven't gone unnoticed by the city.
Baltimore County officials took notice of Kushner's powerful status while announcing in 2017 that he was to be fined for more than 200 code violations in apartments owned by Kushner Cos.
"We expect all landlords to comply with the code requirements that protect the health and safety of their tenants," county officials said in a statement at the time, "even if the landlord's father-in-law is President of the United States."