Former President Barack Obama is praising Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings for his principled stands and pursuit of truth, justice and reconciliation.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the late Baltimore lawmaker "a voice of unsurpassed moral clarity and truth."

But it's not just Democrats who are mourning Cummings after his death Thursday at age 68.

Republicans hailed Cummings as a statesman who reached across the aisle and made rare bipartisan friendships in an era of intense political polarization.

Trump called Cummings "a highly respected political leader" while Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he was a legend who won close friends and admirers from across the political spectrum.

North Carolina Rep. Mark Meadows, one of the most conservative members of Congress, said he was "heartbroken."