‘Rodent infested mess’

US President Donald Trump was hit with new accusations of racism yesterday after he attacked a prominent African-American lawmaker and branded the majority black city of Baltimore an "infested mess."

Trump's outburst came in a series of sharply worded tweets aimed at Democratic Representative Elijah Cummings -- a high-profile critic of Trump's administration whose district covers much of Baltimore.

"Cumming (sic) District is a disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess," the president wrote, calling it "the worst run and most dangerous anywhere in the United States."

"No human being would want to live there," he said -- in an attack ostensibly provoked by Cummings' criticism of the harsh conditions facing would-be asylum seekers at the US-Mexico border.

As chairman of the House Oversight Committee, Cummings -- one of the most prominent African Americans in Congress -- has launched investigations into Trump administration policies, including reports of poor treatment at migrant detention centers.

The morning diatribe ignited a storm of criticism, less than two weeks after the House of Representatives condemned Trump for "racist" comments targeting four first-term Democratic congresswomen who are ethnic minorities.

The top Democrat in Congress, Nancy Pelosi, accused Trump of a "racist" attack on a "champion... of civil rights and economic justice, a beloved leader in Baltimore, and deeply valued colleague."

Former vice president Joe Biden -- the Democratic frontrunner to challenge Trump in 2020 -- called out the president directly on Twitter.

"It is despicable for you to attack him and the people of Baltimore this way," Biden wrote. "Once again you have proved yourself unfit to hold the office. A President is supposed to lift this nation up. Not tear it down."

There was similar condemnation from half a dozen White House candidates including Cory Booker, who tweeted footage of a black CNN anchor and Baltimore native who broke down on air while reacting to the attack on his hometown.

"This is painful. This is a moral, defining moment in America," wrote Booker. "Silence is toxic complicity."

The editorial board of the city's newspaper, The Baltimore Sun, took a direct swipe at Trump in a scathing column which concluded that it is "better to have a few rats than to be one."

The broadside was reminiscent of Trump's recent, racially charged onslaught against four young Democratic women lawmakers, who he said should "go back" to the "crime infested" places they came from. In fact, three were born in the US and all are American citizens.