A rat appeared during a live shot of a broadcast from Baltimore on Monday, July 29 as a reporter talked about her experience speaking to people in the area and what she saw.
Maxine Streicher of Fox 45 went to the Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood to report on the conditions there. During one part of her segment, a rat ran through as the camera rolled.
The neighborhood is part of Rep. Elijah Cummings's (D-Md.) district, Congressional District 7.
Some said the rat "photobombed" Streicher, though she wasn't in front of the camera when the rodent appeared. The camera at the time was slowly panning over piles of trash in what appeared to be an alley.
"If he spent more time in Baltimore, maybe he could help clean up this very dangerous & filthy place," Trump added.
After Democratic leaders attacked him for criticizing Cummings, Trump said that his comments were not racist.
"There is nothing racist in stating plainly what most people already know, that Elijah Cummings has done a terrible job for the people of his district, and of Baltimore itself. Dems always play the race card when they are unable to win with facts. Shame!” he wrote on Twitter on Sunday.
He shared a video shot by Republican strategist Kimberly Klacik showing trash and abandoned homes and another where a resident said Trump's comments were correct.
Rodents are a major issue that can cause a slew of problems including structural damage and fires, Orkin said in the rankings announcement.
“Aside from causing structural damage, rodents can carry hundreds of pathogens that can transmit various diseases and dangerous parasites,” Chelle Hartzer, an Orkin entomologist, said in a statement. “Additionally, they constantly leave behind droplets of urine as they travel each day. These droppings can contribute to asthma and allergic reactions, especially in children.”
"Whew, Jesus. Oh, my God, you can smell the dead animals," she added.