By KATIE ROGERS
APRIL 6, 2017
WASHINGTON President Trump has targeted a wide range of Democratic adversaries in interviews, Twitter posts and news conferences, doling out names and insults with an auctioneers stamina. But when it comes to Representative Elijah E. Cummings, Democrat of Maryland, Mr. Trump has been slightly less pugilistic.
Mr. Trump seems to view the congressman as something of a frenemy.
Elijah Cummings was in my office and he said, You will go down as one of the great presidents in the history of our country, Mr. Trump said in an interview with The New York Times on Wednesday. But then, Mr. Trump said in the interview, he later watched Mr. Cummings on television evidently an appearance on MSNBCs Morning Joe program, in which Mr. Cummings said he was very skeptical of Mr. Trump and his ability to lead a divided nation.
And I said, Mr. Trump told The Times, Was that the same man?
It was the latest volley in a public back and forth between the two men, which centers on a single meeting between them in the Oval Office on March 8, when Mr. Cummings, according to Mr. Trump, made the comment about Mr. Trumps greatness.
On Thursday, Mr. Cummings said, as he has before, that Mr. Trump had distorted his remarks.
During my meeting with the president and on several occasions since then, I have said repeatedly that he could be a great president if if he takes steps to truly represent all Americans rather than continuing on the divisive and harmful path he is currently on, Mr. Cummings said in a statement.
But in an interview on Thursday, Mr. Cummings held out the possibility that Mr. Trump had connected with him in their talk in the Oval Office. His theory, he said, is that Mr. Trump, who is surrounded by aides who work hard to placate him, reacted positively when Mr. Cummings spoke to him frankly and without fear.
I remember when I talked to him, Mr. Cummings said. I said, I bet you nobody has ever told you when you talk about black neighborhoods that its insulting.
The president, Mr. Cummings said, was not used to directness: He said, No, nobodys ever said that to me.
Mr. Cummings said on Morning Joe that he had enjoyed the conversation with Mr. Trump, but that plans for the sit-down had been fraught from the beginning.
The meeting happened after a news conference in which Mr. Trump accused Mr. Cummings of bowing to pressure from Chuck Schumer, the top Senate Democrat, by backing out of plans for a group of lawmakers to discuss prescription drug prices with the president. Mr. Cummings then issued a statement saying he had no idea why Mr. Trump made such a claim.
Of course, Senator Schumer never told me to skip a meeting with the president, Mr. Cummings said in the statement.
Mr. Trump then invited Mr. Cummings to the White House. There, drug prices remained on the agenda, but the two veered into other subjects, such as the presidents unsubstantiated claims of mass voter fraud and his demand for an investigation.
Mr. Cummings, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, said he told the president that, along with focusing on making drug costs manageable, there are other things you need not to do, like the voter fraud investigations. He suggested that the president take a deeper look into voter suppression efforts instead.
Mr. Cummings, who is in regular contact with Vice President Mike Pence, suggested that the discussion might have left a lasting impression. Mr. Pence called him to follow up the next day.
I dont know if you notice, Mr. Cummings said. You havent heard too much about the voter fraud thing.
