(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump on Friday blamed Minnesota’s Democratic governor for cyberattacks on the state’s water systems even though U.S. officials previously told ABC News authorities are investigating whether Iran or hackers associated with the country could be behind them.
“We heard in Minnesota there was a cyberattack and they blame it on Iran. I don’t think so. I think, I blame it on Minnesota because they’re grossly incompetent,” Trump said a Cabinet meeting at Camp David.
Walz pushed back against Trump’s comments in statements on social media Friday.
“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 wrote in a social media post.
The governor also noted federal cuts by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) weakened cybersecurity.
“DOGE took an axe to CISA and left the U.S. exposed to cyber attacks. Thankfully, our experts in Minnesota were able to identify the vulnerability quickly and work with local communities to stop it,” Walz wrote.
More than 30 water systems in Minnesota were targeted in a cyberattack Sunday and Monday, according to Minnesota IT Services (MNIT).
MNIT said the attackers targeted systems to remotely monitor and control equipment, including the programmable logic controllers (PLCs), which are used for remote access.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) said in an alert Thursday that cyber threat actors are targeting PLCs and modifying passwords to “to lock out operators” from U.S. water systems.
MNIT said there are no active requests from Minnesota localities for residents to change their water use and that it is working with federal investigators in the probe. The agency said it has not determined who was responsible.
Minnesota Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar said in a statement Friday that she spoke with U.S. National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross about the attacks and said the director “confirmed that at this point there are no effects on services.”
“Director Cairncross and I discussed updated technology, recognizing that resources are an issue for so many communities, not just in Minnesota but across the country,” the senator wrote.
Klobuchar added that the FBI and Environmental Protection Agency have issued warnings to water utilities across the country about potential cyberattacks.
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