During a cabinet meeting Friday, President Donald Trump alleged that a recent cyberattack on Minnesota's municipal water systems should be blamed on Democratic officials within the state.
The attacks on Minnesota's water network have been widely attributed to Iran by multiple reports, including analysis by federal law enforcement. But the president said responsibility for the incident rested with Minnesota's Democratic Governor Tim Walz.
"There was a cyberattack of 30 water plants, and I would blame it on Minnesota, and the governor, the corrupt governor of Minnesota. They like to say 'oh, it was Iran.' Iran should be so lucky. Iran's got bigger problems than worrying about Minnesota," Trump said.
The president did not give any evidence to support the claim.
Walz was Kamala Harris' running mate in the 2024 presidential election and has remained a critic and foe of President Trump.
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Walz responded to the new allegations in a statement to Scripps News:
"Trump knows exactly who is responsible for this attack, and knows that other states were hit too. This is what modern warfare looks like, and it further illustrates there's no plan to win a war with Iran."
"DOGE took an axe to CISA and left the U.S. exposed to cyberattacks. Thankfully, our experts in Minnesota were able to identify the vulnerability quickly and work with local communities to stop it."
Other states, under both Democratic and Republican leadership, have been targeted by attempted cyberattacks in recent months. In April, multiple federal law enforcement agencies released a joint bulletin warning about the threat of Iranian hacks on infrastructure targets, including water and energy systems.
