Cummings says he scared off intruder at Baltimore home

Rep. Elijah Cummings says he scared off an intruder at his Baltimore home last weekend, providing details for the first time after President Donald Trump tweeted Friday about the break-in.

An election sign is seen on the window of U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., Friday, Aug. 2, 2019, in Baltimore. [Photo: AP]

In a statement Friday, the Maryland Democrat said someone "attempted to gain entry into my residence at approximately 3:40 a.m. on Saturday, July 27."

"I was notified of the intrusion by my security system, and I scared the intruder away by yelling before the person gained entry into the residential portion of the house," Cummings said. "I thank the Baltimore Police Department for their response and ask that all further inquiries be directed to them."

The break-in happened hours before Trump launched a Twitter tirade against Cummings, calling his majority-black district a "disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess."

Trump tweeted earlier Friday, "Really bad news! The Baltimore house of Elijah Cummings was robbed. Too bad!"

The president told reporters later in the day that it was "too bad" that Cummings' home had been broken into and that he was just repeating what he had heard on the news. He said he meant no harm with the social media post, saying "that was really not meant as a wise-guy tweet."

Cummings' House Oversight and Reform Committee has been investigating Trump family members serving in the White House.

Baltimore police said it was unknown whether property was taken. Detectives were seeking information on the incident.