
The world is becoming a scarier place by the minute. There are many countries that want to see the United States fail.
And the FBI has uncovered a threat from this foreign nation that has the Pentagon smashing panic button.
FBI Director Christopher Wray Warns of Chinese Cyber Threats Ahead of Departure
In a bombshell revelation, outgoing FBI Director Christopher Wray disclosed that China has deeply infiltrated America’s critical infrastructure, including water treatment facilities, the electric grid, and other vital systems. Speaking during a CBS 60 Minutes interview on Sunday, just a week before stepping down, Wray warned that these breaches leave the U.S. vulnerable to cyberattacks whenever China decides to act.
“There’s another part of the Chinese cyber threat that I think has not gotten the attention publicly that it I think desperately deserves,” Wray emphasized. “And that is the Chinese government’s pre-positioning on American civilian critical infrastructure. To lie in wait on those networks to be in a position to wreak havoc and can inflict real-world harm at a time and place of their choosing.”
Wray confirmed that China has already embedded malware in essential systems across the United States. “Things like water treatment plants. We’re talking about transportation systems. We’re talking about targeting of our energy sector, the electric grid, natural gas pipelines. And recently we’ve seen targeting of our telecommunications systems,” he explained.
WATCH:
FBI Director Christopher Wray says China’s cyber program has stolen more personal and corporate data from the U.S. than every other nation combined. Scott Pelley reports, tonight on 60 Minutes. pic.twitter.com/GI2nNpfBKW
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) January 12, 2025
He further revealed that China has been intercepting communications from high-level U.S. officials, including those tied to national security, as well as monitoring communications during President-Elect Donald Trump’s campaign and Vice President Kamala Harris’s run for office.
The alarming admission sparked backlash from former Trump administration officials who accused Wray of failing to address these threats during his tenure.
Joshua Steinman, the Trump administration’s former National Security Council senior director for cybersecurity, took to X to express his frustration: “This enrages me. I left them with the tools they needed to confront this. And it appears those tools went unused for four years. Total mismanagement.”
This enrages me.
— joshua steinman (🇺🇸,🇺🇸) (@JoshuaSteinman) January 12, 2025
I left them with the tools they needed to confront this.
And it appears those tools went unused for four years.
Total mismanagement. https://t.co/cHawQMHWoG
Fox News host Brian Kilmeade criticized Wray and the Biden administration, claiming they have prioritized talk over action in countering China’s cyber aggression. On social media, many others voiced their dissatisfaction with the timing of Wray’s revelations.
“Why did FBI Director Christopher Wray wait until the last second before leaving office to do a 60 min interview and tell us that China has sleeper cells all over the country…?” one user asked on X.
Another commented, “Wray knows that Chinese agents have infiltrated the country in order to attack the power grid whenever they choose. How did they get here? What EXACTLY is your job description?”
Wray acknowledged that stepping down was “one of the hardest decisions” of his career but noted that he had little choice following President-Elect Trump’s announcement of his replacement.
Trump has nominated Kash Patel, a former deputy director of national intelligence and Pentagon chief of staff, to take over the role.
As the FBI prepares for this leadership transition, Wray’s warnings serve as a stark reminder of the cyber challenges facing the nation, with growing pressure on U.S. leaders to take decisive action against the escalating threat.
His warning also shows that it’s time for better leadership to be in place at agencies like the FBI. The United States can’t afford for its leaders to drop the ball on issues of national security.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.