'We Lost A Giant': Americans Grapple With Elijah Cummings' Death

Topline: The Wednesday death of Elijah Cummings, a ranking congressional Democrat and a key figure in President Trump's impeachment inquiry, triggered a flood of memorials from not just politicians, but celebrities, journalists and other Americans.

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• Trump first retweeted an attack on Democrats, which drew criticism, before sharing his condolences: "I got to see first hand the strength, passion and wisdom of this highly respected political leader. His work and voice on so many fronts will be very hard, if not impossible, to replace!"
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• Presidential hopefuls Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Amy Klobuchar and Tulsi Gabbard mourned Cummings' loss on Twitter, with Harris saying "We lost a giant."
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• "May he rest in power," said Reverend Al Sharpton, and Bernice King (daughter of Martin Luther King Jr.) said Cummings' life "blessed a multitude."
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• Democrats Adam Schiff, Joe Kennedy and Matt Gaetz expressed their condolences, as did Republicans Marco Rubio and Dan Crenshaw, with Rubio saying, "May God grant his family strength & peace in these difficult moments."
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• April Ryan, Jelani Cobb and Karen Attiah were among the many journalists praising Cummings' contributions to Congress and his generosity with reporters.
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• Celebrities Cher, George Takei, Wanda Sykes and Chelsea Handler memorialized Cummings, with Sykes saying, "This really hurts."

Key background: The son of sharecroppers, Cummings was born in 1951. After obtaining a bachelor's degree, he became a lawyer, practicing for almost two decades and serving in Maryland's state legislature before being elected to the House in 1996. Seen as a powerful voice in Washington, he went on to chair the Congressional Black Caucus and the House oversight committee. Cummings struggled with health issues since at least 2017, and a spokesperson from his office said he died Wednesday as a result of them.

Further reading:

Elijah E. Cummings, Powerful Democrat Who Investigated Trump, Dies at 68 ( New York Times)