Trump and Maryland governor feud over Potomac River sewage spill disaster | Maryland
A month after one of the largest sewage spills in U.S. history began fouling the Potomac River, Donald Trump and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore are arguing over who bears responsibility for a disaster involving a federally regulated pipeline that Moore does not control.
The president used his social media platform Monday to accuse Moore of “gross mismanagement” after a massive sewer pipe burst last month, causing what researchers describe as one of the largest sewage spills in U.S. history.
“A massive ecological disaster is unfolding in the Potomac River due to gross mismanagement by local Democratic leaders, particularly Governor Wes Moore of Maryland,” Trump said on Truth Social. “It is clear that local authorities cannot adequately manage this calamity. »
However, the 1960s-era pipeline, known as the Potomac Interceptor, is operated by DC Water, a Washington-based utility that falls under federal regulation and oversight by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Moore’s spokesperson rejected the president’s criticism, saying Trump had “the facts wrong,” adding that federal authorities, not state officials, were responsible for infrastructure.
“Apparently the Trump administration hadn’t gotten the memo that they were supposed to be in charge here,” spokesman Ammar Moussa said, adding that EPA officials had not attended recent legislative hearings on the cleanup.
The 72-inch diameter pipe collapsed Jan. 19, releasing more than 200 million gallons of untreated sewage into the river northwest of the capital. Sewage continues to flow into the Potomac while emergency repairs are underway, with officials warning that the spill poses significant risks to the environment and public health in the region.
Repairs are expected to take between four and six weeks for immediate repairs, according to DC Water, although local authorities have indicated that full restoration could take up to 10 months. Meanwhile, officials have warned the public to avoid contact with the Potomac River and keep pets away from the water, although officials maintain that drinking water drawn from upstream remains safe.
Trump announced he would deploy the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) to coordinate the response – tapping an agency he has repeatedly attacked since taking office and which now finds itself in financial impasse. The partial government shutdown, which began Saturday, left the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees Fema, without funding after congressional Democrats and the Trump administration failed to reach an agreement on the legislation.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt highlighted the sewage spill as a reason why Democrats should “get serious and defund” the department, even as Trump asked the unfunded agency to lead the response.
The dispute is another flash point in an increasingly bitter feud between Trump and Moore, who some see as a potential Democratic presidential candidate in 2028. After first inviting the governor, Trump excluded Moore from a White House governors’ dinner scheduled for Saturday and has previously threatened to deploy National Guard troops to Baltimore over concerns about violent crime.
Trump also challenged Moore over “DEI contracting practices” and what he called “escalating project costs” for the reconstruction of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed in March 2024 after a container ship hit it.
Trump told reporters Monday evening that his dissatisfaction with Moore’s handling of the sewage spill and bridge reconstruction prompted his decision to disinvite the governor. “He can’t fix anything,” Trump said.
Moore’s office said in a statement that Maryland remains ready to work with federal officials.
“The Potomac is not a talking point,” Moussa said, “and the people of the region deserve serious, fit-for-moment leadership.”
