President Donald Trump is worried the stench of the Potomac River will put America 250 celebrations in a funk after a sewage pipe collapse near Washington, D.C. dumped hundreds of millions of gallons of raw sewage into the river, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday.
“He is worried about that, which is why the federal government wants to fix it, and we hope that the local authorities will cooperate with us in doing so,” Leavitt said during a press briefing at the White House when asked if the president was worried about Washington, D.C. smelling like waste during celebrations for the nation’s 250th anniversary.
The administration has a slew of events planned for the 250th anniversary of the United States, culminating in Independence Day celebrations on July 4. Many of the events will take place in Washington, D.C., which sits on the Potomac, and are likely to draw crowds of travelers.
Leavitt said the White House is still waiting on local governments in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. to ask for federal help in cleaning up the mess. Trump has repeatedly blamed Democratic leadership in the two states and D.C. for the spill and has demanded they ask “politely” for federal assistance.
