#BaltimoreStrong | Celebrities Defending Baltimore After President Trump's Tweets
BALTIMORE (CNN/WJZ) -- Several celebrities came to the city of Baltimore's defense after a series of tweets from President Donald Trump that called the city a "rat and rodent-infested mess."
Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank is defending his company's hometown after President Donald Trump attacked Democrat Elijah Cummings, whose congressional district includes Baltimore, and criticized the city.
Plank posted an old commercial on his personal Instagram account Sunday showing Under Armour's adoration of the Maryland city.
He didn't mention Trump by name, but the intention was clear with his caption: "On behalf of the thousands of UA Teammates who proudly call Baltimore HOME... Work to be done but we are of this city and for this city," Plank wrote.
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The one-minute commercial, originally released last year, points to an Under Armour website for We Will. Under Armour launched that marketing campaign in 2017 to become more engaged with Baltimore.
Trump ignited controversy on Saturday when he called the city "disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess" and attacked Cummings, who represents Maryland's 7th Congressional District. The tweets have sparked a reaction from city officials and politicians to defend the city and condemn Trump.
Plank has previously disagreed with Trump in public. He stepped down from Trump's American Manufacturing Council in 2017 after the president didn't directly criticize neo-Nazis, the KKK and other white supremacists at a Charlottesville, Virginia rally. "I think there is blame on both sides," Trump previously said and equated the white supremacists on one side with the "alt-left" on the other side.
"There is no place for racism or discrimination in this world. We choose love & unity," Plank wrote in a tweet.
Top Under Armour endorser and NBA star Stephen Curry also defended Baltimore over the weekend.
"I'm not from Baltimore -- but I know countless people who are. Teammates, family, hardworking employees. All People that represent the best qualities of what it means to be American! & who want to live there!" Curry said on Twitter.
Curry applauded CNN correspondent Victor Blackwell, who responded to Trump's attacks on Baltimore and called out his repeated use of the word "infested" when targeting minority lawmakers.
"It's this kind of boldness that our country needs! Keep calling him out," Curry said.
Ravens Coach John Harbaugh also defended the city during a press conference Monday.
"My wife, my daughter and me, we love Baltimore. More than Baltimore, we love the people in Baltimore. Maybe it's because people love the Ravens so much. We felt nothing by love here for the last 11 years. I think all big cities have challenges and problems. It's not unique here.
Our prayer will be from now on at least is that the politicians get together and work together. Can you imagine how powerful it would be if the two sides of the aisle -- two guys like those two wonderful people -- got together and solved some problems and found ways to make things better. That's what we're all rooting for."
Former New York City mayor and Johns Hopkins graduate Michael Bloomberg defended Baltimore in a tweet.
"Home to one of America's greatest universities and hospitals. Home to hundreds of thousands of America's proudest people. Resilient and strong. #WeAreBaltimore," he tweeted.
David Simon, the creator of the Baltimore-based crime drama "The Wire," blasted Trump's remarks, saying the city deserves better from the White House.
American rock band All Time Low shared their pride on Twitter.
Professional lacrosse player Kyle Harrison also defended the city:
Not all celebrities defended the city, though; Wednesday, former conservative game show host Chuck Woolery asked Baltimoreans on Twitter why they, "feel obligated to vote for the same people, over and over, expecting a different result?"
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