WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump is worried the stench from a massive sewage spill in the Potomac River could linger in the nation’s capital this summer during his planned celebrations for the country’s 250th birthday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
Trump in recent days has blamed Maryland Democrats for the January collapse of a sewage line in the suburbs of Washington that has caused at least 200 million gallons of raw sewage to flow into the Potomac River. The waterway wraps around some of the city's biggest tourist attractions, including the Thomas Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials.
More: The Potomac sewer spill turned into a political fight. What to know.
Asked during a Feb. 18 news conference about whether the president was concerned the river would "still smell like poop" during major 250th events later this year, Leavitt said Trump "is worried about that."
"Which is why the federal government wants to fix it," she said. "And we hope that the local authorities will cooperate with us in doing so."
