Trump blames Tim Walz for water hacks even though it’s probably Iran

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As usual, the president offered no evidence of his off-the-cuff accusations.

As usual, the president offered no evidence of his off-the-cuff accusations.

by Terrence O'Brien

Aug 1, 2026, 3:23 PM UTC

Terrence O'Brien

is the Verge’s weekend editor. He’s covered the tech industry for over 18 years and knows a thing or two about synths.

The FBI, the EPA, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have stopped short of officially blaming Iran for a spate of cyberattacks on Minnesota’s water systems, but consensus is that Iran is likely behind them. That, of course, hasn’t stopped Donald Trump from sharing his own theory — that Governor Tim Walz is to blame and telling reporters that “I don’t think there was an Iranian cyberattack.”

Trump’s comments come shortly after the FBI issued a warning that the cyberattacks on American infrastructure were spreading to other states. In Minnesota alone, at least 30 community water systems had been targeted in what appeared to be a coordinated attack. The CISA has linked similar attacks earlier in the year to Iran, which has been the target of an on-again-off-again war waged by the US government. With limited military options, Iran has repeatedly turned to digital efforts to become a thorn in the side of the Trump administration and wage a PR war.

Trump has lashed out frequently at Minnesota and Walz during his second term and even threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act against it during a surge of ICE enforcement efforts in the state that left multiple people dead.

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• Terrence O'Brien

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