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Trump deepens war of words with leftist black leaders

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US President calls African-American leader a 'conman' after he defends Baltimore city

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump brushed off accusations of racism on Monday and stepped up his war of words with prominent black and minority left-leaning leaders, branding his latest target a "con man."

Rejecting criticism that he is stoking America's smouldering racial divisions, Mr Trump attacked African-American civil rights activist Al Sharpton.

"Al is a con man, a troublemaker, always looking for a score. Just doing his thing," Mr Trump tweeted, adding that Mr Sharpton "Hates Whites & Cops!"

He struck out after Mr Sharpton - one of the best known, if controversial, black figures in US politics - expressed support for Baltimore, a majority black city near Washington that has also come in for a presidential bashing.

Over the weekend, Mr Trump described Baltimore as a "rat and rodent infested mess" unfit for humans and blamed this on Mr Elijah Cummings, the Democrat who represents much of the city in Congress.

Mr Cummings, who is black, heads the House Oversight committee, one of the powerful bodies mounting politically sensitive probes into everything from Mr Trump's Russia connections to tax records.

Mr Sharpton told reporters in Baltimore that Mr Trump "has a particular venom for blacks and people of colour".

"He can say what he wants. Call me a troublemaker. Yes, I make trouble for bigots," Mr Sharpton said.

Mr Trump did not hold back, either.

"So tired of listening to the same old Bull...," he wrote, spicing up his tweet with an abbreviated profanity. "Next, Reverend Al will show up to complain & protest. Nothing will get done for the people in need."

Mr Trump said earlier this month that he does not have "a racist bone in my body".

He routinely touts statistics showing low unemployment in the African-American community, as well as a programme designed to encourage investment in forgotten inner city neighbourhoods.

On Monday, he boosted that narrative by meeting at the White House with black pastors.

"The President is concerned about the whole nation, about everybody in the nation," said Ms Alveda King, a niece of the slain civil rights icon Martin Luther King.

Mr Bill Owens, a pastor who said that about 20 people attended the previously unannounced, closed-door meeting with Mr Trump, told reporters it was "hard to believe" that Mr Trump is racist.

The Baltimore feud comes less than two weeks after the House of Representatives - in a rare vote - condemned the President for "racist" comments targeting four first-term Democratic Congresswomen nicknamed the "Squad". All of them are from ethnic minorities.

"Why don't they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came," Mr Trump asked about the women, only one of whom, Ms Ilhan Omar, was born abroad, arriving two decades ago as a refugee from Somalia.

The "go back" statement ignited a backlash from critics painting Mr Trump as an open racist. - AFP

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