Trump Makes Unfounded Claims About Walz and Cyberattacks During Cabinet Session
Sandego.net – During a Friday gathering at Camp David, President Donald Trump delivered several of his recurring assertions regarding economic performance, immigration policy, and international relations. Among these statements was a completely unsubstantiated accusation directed at Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Below is an examination of the president’s comments made during this meeting.
The Minnesota Water System Allegation
Trump addressed recent cyberattacks that have disrupted water infrastructure across numerous states. While investigators have not yet identified the responsible party, American officials at both federal and state levels consider Iran a primary suspect. The president offered a different explanation entirely.
“I think that Minnesota is behind it. You know who is behind it? Minnesota. Because they’re grossly incompetent. I think the governor is behind it.”
Continuing his remarks, Trump dismissed the possibility of Iranian involvement. He stated, “I don’t think there was an Iranian cyberattack. I think that Minnesota ought to get its act together.” These assertions lack any evidentiary foundation. Neither Minnesota nor Walz—the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2024 and a prominent critic of the president—has any connection to the attacks.
On Thursday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Environmental Protection Agency released a joint statement. They reported that since Monday, utility companies within the Water and Wastewater Sector in at least seven states had notified the FBI of incidents, with some disruptions affecting water operations. Notably, Trump failed to acknowledge the governors of the remaining six affected states.
When approached for a response, a spokesperson for Governor Walz directed CNN to several posts Walz had published on X. On his personal account, Walz wrote, “Trump can’t beat Iran because he’s too busy waging war with Minnesota.” His official account featured a longer message: “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 noted, “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.”
Factory Construction Claims Under Scrutiny
Trump asserted, “We’re building more factories and plants in this country than we’ve ever built before.” However, the White House could not locate any supporting documentation for this statement when CNN requested clarification earlier in the week.
Official federal statistics tell a different story. Spending on manufacturing construction—a key indicator of factory development—has consistently decreased throughout Trump’s second term following a surge that characterized much of former President Joe Biden’s presidency. That earlier increase had subsided by the end of Biden’s tenure. A review of the official chart reveals clear declines in both 2025 and 2026.
The seasonally adjusted annual rate for manufacturing construction spending reached approximately $174.8 billion in May 2026, the most recent month with available figures. This represents a decrease of roughly 28 percent compared to May 2024, the final May under Biden, and also a 28 percent drop from December 2024, Biden’s last complete month in office. Additionally, the figure fell about 26 percent from February 2025, Trump’s first full month, and declined approximately 22 percent from May 2025.
Revisiting Biden and Inflation
Trump claimed, “When we took office, we inherited a total catastrophe. The last administration created the worst inflation in 48 years.” While it is accurate that the year-over-year inflation rate reached approximately 9.1 percent during the Biden administration—nearly a 40-year peak—this was not a 48-year high. More significantly, this was not the inflation rate Trump inherited. The 9.1 percent figure occurred in June 2022, more than two years before Trump returned to the White House.
Inflation subsequently dropped significantly before Trump’s inauguration. The year-over-year rate in December 2024, the last full month of Biden’s presidency, stood at 2.9 percent. In January 2025, when Trump was sworn in, it was 3.0 percent. Both figures were lower than the most recent available rate at the time Trump spoke on Friday, which was 3.5 percent in June 2026.
Current Inflation Trends
Trump stated, “This month, it was announced that inflation is dropping at the fastest rate in more than six years.” While it is true that inflation last month fell at its quickest pace in over six years, and the announcement arrived this month, the president’s use of present tense warrants closer examination. The data reflects past performance rather than current conditions; it did not indicate that inflation is currently dropping at that accelerated rate.
The rapid decline observed in June was primarily driven by sharp reductions in gasoline prices following a ceasefire agreement with Iran. However, as the United States and Iran resumed hostilities in July, gasoline prices have climbed once again. Numerous analysts anticipate that the steep inflation decrease witnessed in June will prove temporary rather than sustained.
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