Maryland Governor Wes Moore has responded to President Trump’s criticism following a pipe burst last month, which sent hundreds of millions of gallons of sewage into the Potomac River.
As The Gateway Pundit reported, a sewage spill from Montgomery County, Maryland, north of DC, which began on January 19, 2026, was estimated to have discharged nearly 300 million gallons of sewage into the famed river. Meanwhile, DC and Maryland officials still do not have a handle on the crisis, which is killing wildlife and ruining plans for recreation on the river.
President Trump on Monday said he is activating the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) while slamming Moore’s “Gross Mismanagement” of the situation, adding, “This is the same Governor who cannot rebuild a Bridge.”
“It is clear Local Authorities cannot adequately handle this calamity. Therefore, I am directing Federal Authorities to immediately provide all necessary Management, Direction, and Coordination to protect the Potomac, the Water Supply in the Capital Region, and our treasured National Resources in our Nation’s Capital City,” Trump said.
“While State and Local Authorities have failed to request needed Emergency Help, I cannot allow incompetent Local ‘Leadership’ to turn the River in the Heart of Washington into a Disaster Zone.”
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Moore's office told The Hill that the President is "has his facts wrong" and blamed Trump for the federally regulated Potomac Interceptor's rupture.
“The President has his facts wrong—again. Since the last century, the federal government has been responsible for the Potomac Interceptor, which is the origin of the sewage leak. For the last four weeks, the Trump Administration has failed to act, shirking its responsibility and putting people’s health at risk,” a spokesperson for Moore, Ammar Moussa, said.
“Notably, the president’s own EPA explicitly refused to participate in the major legislative hearing about the cleanup last Friday. Apparently the Trump administration hadn’t gotten the memo that they’re actually supposed to be in charge here.”
Per PBS, "Asked why Trump was placing blame on Moore outside of Maryland's jurisdiction, a White House official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said Maryland was slow to coordinate with federal entities on the ruptured pipe and has not kept up with needed updates of the state's water and wastewater infrastructure."
