Trump Endorses MyPillow’s Mike Lindell for Minnesota Governor

President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced he is endorsing MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell as the Republican candidate for Minnesota governor, saying he is one of “America’s greatest and most hard working Patriots.”

“Mike will be SPECTACULAR!!! He truly loves Minnesota, as do I, and wants to bring it back from oblivion and embarrassment. He can do it!” Trump wrote via his Truth Social platform, calling Lindell “the ‘Pillow Man.’”

The president added that “nobody has sacrificed more than Mike Lindell in fighting for our country, especially when it comes to Election Integrity.”

Trump was referring to backlash against the MyPillow brand in response to Lindell’s statements following the 2020 presidential election that significant fraud was involved in the contest.

In response, Lindell wrote on X that he is “honored” to have received Trump’s backing.

Lindell is part of a Republican field competing in an Aug. 11 primary for the state’s seat in a bid to replace outgoing Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat who announced earlier this year that he would not seek reelection. The announcement came after scrutiny of his state’s handling of a widespread fraud scandal that also drew federal attention.

The GOP list includes Minnesota Republican House Speaker Lisa Demuth. On the Democratic side, longtime Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) headlines the field.

In a separate post on Wednesday, Trump criticized Klobuchar as “corrupt” and “incompetent” before he accused Minnesota’s elections of being rigged against Republicans since President Richard Nixon won the state in the 1972 presidential election. He reiterated his support for Lindell in his post.

Responding to Trump’s announcement on Wednesday, Klobuchar wrote in a post on X: “Mike Lindell is Donald Trump’s choice. I hope to be Minnesota’s.”

While the Trump administration and Republicans have focused on childcare and other welfare fraud accusations in Minnesota, Democrats, including Klobuchar, have focused on the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown that involved federal officers killing two Minnesotans earlier this year, which drew protests in Minneapolis. Klobuchar has mostly avoided direct mention of the childcare programs and fraud inquiries.

Walz, a former Democratic vice presidential candidate, has disputed the Trump administration’s characterizations and said that his administration has moved to tackle fraud in Minnesota, including a statement in December that they “have made systematic changes” to the state’s government.

The Department of Justice has charged dozens of defendants in Minnesota fraud-related cases, and a large majority of them are of Somali origin, with dozens of convictions. The FBI also launched numerous investigations into allegations of fraud at state healthcare and home care providers accused of criminal activity.

In June, Lindell told a local radio station that, to win the state’s governor’s race, Republicans “need name recognition, which I have.” Previewing a possible battle between him and Klobuchar ahead of the midterm election, he added, “You don’t have the marketing I have and the money I have to raise to market this against Amy [Klobuchar] come fall.”

Klobuchar’s office did not respond to a request for comment by publication time. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.