Trump Blames Minnesota After Cyberattacks Hit U.S. Water Systems

A coordinated cyberattack campaign targeted municipal water and wastewater systems across at least seven U.S. states starting July 26, 2026. The intrusions focused on internet-facing programmable logic controllers (PLCs), primarily Rockwell Automation models, allowing hackers to change passwords and lock out operators. In Minnesota, the hardest-hit state, over 30 systems were targeted; the city of Braham suffered a water treatment plant outage, while other cities experienced flooding and pressure loss. Despite operational disruptions and some boil-water notices, federal and state authorities reported no contamination of drinking water.

Donald Trump rejected intelligence assessments suggesting Iranian involvement, instead attributing the breaches to the "grossly incompetent" leadership of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz during a cabinet meeting at Camp David. Governor Walz countered that the attacks represent "modern warfare" and accused the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency of gutting the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), leaving the nation exposed.

While the U.S. government has not issued a formal public attribution, the FBI, EPA, and CISA have warned that Iranian-affiliated actors, such as the group CyberAv3ngers, frequently target this critical infrastructure. The attacks coincide with escalated military conflict between the United States and Iran. Federal agencies have urged water utility operators to remove PLCs from the public internet and strengthen password security to prevent further disruptions.