Photo: Alamy
President Donald Trump said federal agencies will become involved in response efforts following a wastewater spill into the Potomac River that began Jan. 19, blaming local and state officials in Maryland and Washington, D.C., for what he described as mismanagement.
In a post on Truth Social, the president criticized Maryland leaders and said the federal government would step in to address the situation.
“There is a massive Ecological Disaster unfolding in the Potomac River as a result of the Gross Mismanagement of Local Democrat Leaders, particularly, Governor Wes Moore, of Maryland,” President Trump wrote on Truth Social. “A sewer line breach in Maryland has caused millions of gallons of raw sewage to be dumped directly into the Potomac River, a result of incompetent Local and State Management of Essential Waste Management Systems.”
The president said the federal government would take a larger role in coordinating recovery operations, naming the Federal Emergency Management Agency as part of the response.
He added, “The Federal Government has no choice, but to step in. FEMA, which is currently being defunded by the Democrats, will play a key role in coordinating the response. Thank you for your attention to this matter! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP.”
The remarks come amid an ongoing public dispute between President Trump and Maryland Democratic Gov. Wes Moore, as well as broader political disagreements over federal funding and disaster response resources.
The spill has raised environmental concerns along the Potomac River, a major waterway serving communities in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. Officials have not yet released a full assessment of the environmental impact, but cleanup and mitigation efforts are underway.
President Trump’s comments also coincided with a partial government shutdown affecting portions of the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA. While funding remains available for certain projects, restrictions mean some agency employees are not receiving pay until Congress reaches a budget agreement and restores full funding.