One of the bigger stories over the last week has been the sewage leak in DC, which is sending hundreds of millions of gallons of wastewater into the Potomac River.
According to DC Water, the problem could take weeks to fix.
For Trump, that is far too long, and now he says the federal government will take over the problem.
On Monday, DC Water explained that the repair job is going to take far longer than was expected.
DC Water explained, “Over the weekend, a new access pit upstream of the collapse site with additional high-capacity pumps was activated, ahead of forecasted rain and snowmelt.”
The statement continued, “No overflow events impacting surface waters were reported overnight. Crews are working to bring three additional bypass pumps online over the next several days.”
The utility further stated that replacing older pipes will take place after the repairs are done, but that project will take nearly a year to complete.
Trump was not happy with the progress, and on Monday, he announced, “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 then added, "If they can’t do the job, they have to call me and ask, politely, to get it fixed.” That line, I think is a mistake. This is why people pay taxes, and they should not have to get the government for emergency services. Trump and his base think this is funny, but it again adds fodder for Democrats to use against him. That line will wind up in a political ad somewhere with videos of the sewage water pouring into the river."
Then Trump went on the attack, posting, "The two Governors and the Mayor of D.C. must act, IMMEDIATELY. This is a Radical Left caused Environmental Hazard. With all of their talk about carbon footprints and everything else, they’re allowing hundreds of tons of sewage to pour into the Mighty Potomac, making it much less mighty. ACT FAST. I am awaiting your call."
This was a real chance for Trump to get a win, but instead, Democrats went on the attack.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore’s office immediately fired back at Trump, stating, “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.”
The statement continued, “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.”
That reaction was about as predictable as the sun coming up in the East every morning, and this was a golden opportunity missed by Trump and his administration.
We need someone who can think big picture in Trump’s ear and stop allowing people like Steven Cheung to dictate social media responses, as he is only interested in chuckles and jabs, in my opinion. There are times when you have to put political lines aside, especially when it can give the administration a huge win in the eyes of the American people. Trump is right to offer government assistance here, but the delivery of the offer was off. We simply cannot afford these mistakes.
