ST. PAUL, MN — President Donald Trump has endorsed Mike Lindell, the MyPillow CEO and his longtime ally, in Minnesota's Republican primary for governor.
In a Wednesday post on Truth Social, Trump gave Lindell his "complete and total endorsement," calling him "one of America's greatest and most hard-working Patriots" who "truly loves Minnesota" and wants to "bring it back from oblivion and embarrassment."
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Lindell is competing in the Aug. 11 GOP primary against Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth and retired Army veteran and health care executive Kendall Qualls, who won the state GOP convention's endorsement this spring.
The primary winner will face Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the likely DFL candidate, in November.
A recent Star Tribune/KARE 11/Hubbard School of Journalism poll showed Klobuchar leading Lindell 53 percent to 36 percent in a hypothetical general election matchup.
A Mankato native, Lindell built MyPillow into a national brand through years of late-night infomercials before becoming one of Trump's most outspoken allies after the 2020 election.
He has spent millions promoting unfounded claims that the election was stolen, claims that have been rejected by courts across the country.
By his own account, Lindell has poured as much as $40 million into conferences, legal battles, and researchers promoting his election theories, the New York Times noted.
An arbitration panel ordered Lindell to pay $5 million to a software developer in 2023 after his own "Prove Mike Wrong" contest data, which he said showed Chinese interference in the election, was found to be fabricated, CNBC reported.
Lindell called the ruling "a horrible decision" and vowed to appeal.
In January 2021, Lindell was photographed arriving at the White House carrying notes that referenced declaring "martial law if necessary" and invoking the Insurrection Act, part of an apparent pitch to keep Trump in power.
Minnesota DFL Party Chair Richard Carlbom quickly criticized the endorsement Wednesday:
"Every Minnesota Republican candidate for Governor chased Donald Trump's endorsement and today, one of them has prevailed," Carlbom said. "This endorsement underscores that MAGA voters expect their candidates to be a rubber stamp for Donald Trump, regardless of how much it hurts Minnesotans. Mike Lindell is Minnesota's election-denying Trump clone. We look forward to holding them both accountable in November."
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