When Trump Claimed Americans Are Flushing Their Toilets "10 Times, 15 Times, as Opposed to Once"

Former President Donald Trump made headlines with an unusual claim about Americans' bathroom habits in December 2019. Trump asserted that people were having to flush their toilets "10 times, 15 times, as opposed to once" due to water efficiency standards. This took place during a small business roundtable at the White House. The president's comments came as part of a broader critique of environmental regulations that he believed were causing problems for everyday Americans. "We have a situation where we're looking very strongly at sinks and showers and other elements of bathrooms," Trump said during the event. He went on to describe scenarios where water "rushes out to sea" in some areas, as per USA Today.

Trump painted a vivid picture of the alleged issues, stating, "You turn on the faucet and you don't get any water. They take a shower and water comes dripping out. Just dripping out, very quietly dripping out." His voice lowered as he mimicked the sound of water barely flowing from showerheads. The president's claims about multiple flushes drew particular attention. "People are flushing toilets 10 times, 15 times, as opposed to once," he insisted, as per CNN. Trump appeared to be targeting low-flow appliances and fixtures designed to conserve water. It wasn't entirely clear what specific regulations he was referencing.

Trump said that these water-saving measures actually ended up being waste. "They end up using more water," he argued. He said he got the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to look into it. He did not provide details on what specific suggestions. The president's remarks didn’t just stop at toilets. He also talked about other bathroom fixtures. He claimed that the water conservation standards made it difficult for people to wash their hands properly in new buildings. "You can't wash your hands practically, there's so little water comes out of the faucet," Trump stated. He argued that this led to people leaving the faucet running longer.

Trump's bathroom-related statements came against the backdrop of an active impeachment investigation at the time. It drew a sharp contrast between the gravity of the political situation and the seemingly insignificant subject of plumbing fixtures. Observers saw the moment's contradiction. Video clips of the president's remarks rapidly went viral online. It received over a million views and many people questioned Trump's statements about excessive flushing and poor water supply.

The problems with water efficiency standards for toilets had been in place long before Trump took the seat at the Oval Office. The Energy Policy Act of 1992 mandated that toilets installed in homes after 1994 use no more than 1.6 gallons of water per flush. It was signed by President George H.W. Bush. The EPA's voluntary WaterSense program, launched in 2006, went further by certifying toilets that used even less water—1.28 gallons per flush.