Trump, Moore feud expands to Potomac River sewage spill

Dan Belson, Baltimore Sun on Feb 16, 2026

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Federal authorities will respond to the 300-plus-gallon sewage spill in the Potomac River, President Donald Trump said Monday in a Truth Social post where he blamed Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and other Democrats for the spill.

“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,” Trump said on his social media platform.

A spokesperson for Moore fired back at Trump, saying that the federal government has been responsible for the major sewer line that collapsed “since the last century,” referring to Environmental Protection Agency regulations.

“For the last four weeks, the Trump Administration has failed to act, shirking its responsibility and putting people’s health at risk,” spokesperson Ammar Moussa said, noting that the Environmental Protection Agency didn’t appear at a Maryland General Assembly hearing on Friday about the cleanup efforts.

“Apparently the Trump administration hadn’t gotten the memo that they’re actually supposed to be in charge here,” Moussa said.

The spill, which began last month when a sewer line in Montgomery County collapsed, has the potential to be one of the largest sewage spills in U.S. history. The spill has prompted health officials in counties along the Potomac to issue advisories to stay away from affected areas. But despite the size of the spill, scientists told The Baltimore Sun last week that its impacts beyond the Potomac watershed may be limited.

D.C. Water said Sunday that there had been no overflows in the past 24 hours. The utility said that crews expect to install a steel bulkhead to isolate the damaged section “late next week,” though a permanent repair could take months.

The president used the opportunity to blast Moore, saying the spill was caused by “incompetent Local and State Management.”

Trump and Moore have long been at odds, though their attacks on each other have become more frequent after Moore was uninvited from a National Governors Association dinner at the White House. Moore targeted Trump during his State of the State speech last week. Trump responded by saying he didn’t invite Moore — whom he only referred to as the “foul mouthed Governor of Maryland” — to the dinner because of various grievances he holds against the Democrat.

“This is the same Governor who cannot rebuild a Bridge,” Trump wrote in Monday’s post about the spill, referring to delays in the effort to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. “It is clear Local Authorities cannot adequately handle this calamity.”

Moussa, the governor’s spokesperson, said that state officials “were on site within hours of the leak to do our part to coordinate the response.” He said that if the federal government “is just now showing up to take action, we will work collaboratively.”

“The Potomac isn’t a talking point, and the people of the region deserve serious leadership that meets the moment,” he said.

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