In a predawn twitterstorm, President Trump had harsh words for House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings (D-MD). Trump tweeted: “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.”

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. His district is considered the Worst in the USA……

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 27, 2019

In the next tweet, Trump wrote: “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. Cummings’ 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.”

Finally, he wrote: “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!”

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!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 27, 2019

Cummings is known for his frequent criticism of the President. Recently, Cummings said the treatment of migrant children at the border facilities “is government-sponsored child abuse…on a grand scale…We have seen cases where the administration has deported parents without their children and still, to this day, have not reunited those families.”

A recent DHS Inspector General’s report told of “dangerous overcrowding” and “prolonged detention of children and adults” at some of these facilities.

At a committee hearing last week, Cummings discussed these findings with Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan. Cummings said, “You feel like you’re doing a great job, right? What does that mean? What does that mean? When a child is sitting in their own feces, can’t take a shower? Come on, man. What’s that about? None of us would have our children in that position. They are human beings.”

McAleenan defended the work DHS has done and invited Cummings to see for himself that conditions were improving.

Cummings fired back at Trump. He tweeted, “Mr. President, I go home to my district daily. Each morning, I wake up, and I go and fight for my neighbors. It is my constitutional duty to conduct oversight of the Executive Branch. But, it is my moral duty to fight for my constituents.”

Mr. President, I go home to my district daily. Each morning, I wake up, and I go and fight for my neighbors.

It is my constitutional duty to conduct oversight of the Executive Branch. But, it is my moral duty to fight for my constituents.

— Elijah E. Cummings (@RepCummings) July 27, 2019

Mr. President, we can address this together. Two years ago, I went to the White House to ask you to endorse my bill to let the government negotiate directly for lower drug prices.

— Elijah E. Cummings (@RepCummings) July 27, 2019

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other House Democrats defended Cummings by tweet.

.@RepCummings is a champion in the Congress and the country for civil rights and economic justice, a beloved leader in Baltimore, and deeply valued colleague. We all reject racist attacks against him and support his steadfast leadership. #ElijahCummingsIsAPatriot https://t.co/2LG8AuQrHh

— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) July 27, 2019

Trump was also angry about the House Oversight Committee’s vote to subpoena records of White House officials (including those of Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner) and aide’s use of social media for government business use. In a committee hearing on Thursday, Cummings said, “There are serious questions about this White House’s use of personal email and text accounts. We must issue these subpoenas to get our answers.”

I posted about Republican committee member Chip Roy’s angry outburst after the vote had been taken at that meeting. He berated committee Democrats for their “fishing expedition” and for neglecting their responsibility to the American people as they try to bring President Trump down, then stormed out of the room.

Following the debacle of Wednesday’s Mueller hearings, which was really a watershed moment for the impeachment movement, President Trump has decided to go on the offense.

Democrats, beware.