Nicolai Haugsted
Trump dismisses Iran concerns and targets political rival over cyberattacks.
If Donald Trump hoped for the support from the state of Minnesota during the upcoming midterms election, he is likely to have another thing coming.
Trump has sparked a fresh political clash after dismissing suggestions that Iran could be behind a wave of cyberattacks targeting Minnesota’s water treatment systems, instead accusing state leaders of being responsible without publicly offering evidence.
The remarks came during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential retreat at Camp David, where the president shifted the focus from foreign cyber threats to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and his administration.
Addressing the reported attacks, Trump rejected the suggestion that Iran was responsible.
“I just want to mention, we heard in Minnesota there was a cyberattack and they blame it on Iran. I don’t think so. I blame it on Minnesota because they’re grossly incompetent. There was a cyberattack at 30 water plants and I blame it on Minnesota and the corrupt governor of Minnesota,” he said according to The Irish Star.
Authorities have not publicly identified who carried out the attacks, which reportedly affected more than 30 water treatment facilities in the state during the previous week.
The White House did not provide additional evidence when asked to support the president’s claims, referring reporters back to his remarks during the Cabinet meeting.
Federal cybersecurity officials have previously warned that Iranian hackers have been attempting to target American water and wastewater systems, along with other forms of critical infrastructure.
An advisory issued by the FBI, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and other federal agencies highlighted ongoing efforts by Iranian-linked actors to infiltrate operational control systems.
Iranian cyber operations against U.S. infrastructure are not a new concern. In 2016, the Justice Department charged a group of Iranian hackers over a cyberattack involving a small dam near New York City.
Walz fires back
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz responded on social media after the Cabinet meeting, accusing Trump of ignoring the broader national security picture.
“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.”
Walz also argued that reductions to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency under the Trump administration had weakened America’s cyber defenses, leaving the country more vulnerable to attacks.
Trump and Walz have repeatedly clashed over issues ranging from immigration policy to federal-state relations, making the latest exchange another chapter in an increasingly public feud.
While investigators continue examining the attacks, no official attribution has yet been announced, leaving the source of the cyber campaign unresolved as political arguments over responsibility continue.
