Trump Backs ‘Pillow Man’ Mike Lindell in Minnesota Governor’s Race

The news that Trump endorses Mike Lindell for Minnesota governor has injected fresh drama into an already crowded and closely watched race. President Donald Trump threw his support behind the MyPillow founder on Wednesday, hailing him as one of America’s greatest and hardest-working patriots. The timing was notable, coming just a day before Trump was set to deliver a national address focused on election security.

The endorsement links two prominent election deniers and signals how central the theme of election integrity has become to Trump’s political messaging heading into the 2026 cycle.

The Rise of the ‘Pillow Man’

Mike Lindell built his national reputation through a relentless television advertising campaign that made him famous as the MyPillow Guy. Over time, he transformed that recognition into a political platform, becoming one of Trump’s most vocal supporters.

Lindell has consistently echoed the president’s false claims that his 2020 defeat to Democrat Joe Biden was the result of fraud. That shared conviction appears to have cemented the bond between the two men, culminating in this high-profile endorsement.

Trump’s Glowing Praise

Trump did not hold back in his support. Posting on his Truth Social platform, he predicted that Lindell would be spectacular, declaring that the candidate truly loves Minnesota and wants to rescue it from what he described as oblivion and embarrassment. He affectionately referred to Lindell as the “Pillow Man.”

Lindell wasted no time capitalizing on the moment. He featured the endorsement prominently on social media and thanked the president, expressing his appreciation for Trump’s confidence and adopting the familiar rallying cry to make Minnesota great again.

A Crowded Primary Field

Despite the presidential backing, Lindell faces a competitive path forward. He is one of several candidates competing in the Republican primary scheduled for August 11.

His opponents include some formidable figures:

• State House Speaker Lisa Demuth
• Businessman Kendall Qualls, who holds the endorsement of the Minnesota state GOP

Lindell has gone on the attack, blaming Demuth for federal spending fraud. Demuth, in turn, has pointed the finger at the Democratic administration and the executive agency leaders responsible for overseeing federal grants to childcare providers.

Republicans Tread Carefully

Interestingly, Lindell’s primary rivals have largely avoided criticizing Trump’s choice directly, a reflection of the president’s enduring influence within the party.

Demuth took a subtle approach, sharing a clip of a radio caller who supported Trump as president but argued that Demuth had the most knowledge of Minnesota’s issues and the best ability to get things done. Qualls struck a similarly diplomatic tone in a video to supporters, affirming his support for Trump and his America First policies while noting that he and Trump had been friends for years. Qualls emphasized that the race would ultimately be decided by Minnesota conservatives rather than national endorsements.

Trump’s Attacks on the Outgoing Governor

The president has repeatedly criticized outgoing Governor Tim Walz, who served as the Democrats’ 2024 vice presidential nominee. Trump has branded Walz as incompetent and accused his administration of permitting widespread fraud in federal childcare spending.

In doing so, Trump has employed racist rhetoric targeting Minnesota’s Somali immigrant population, portraying them as drivers of the alleged fraud. Walz, who ended his bid for a third term earlier this year, has disputed these characterizations, though investigations into the state’s administration of federally supported childcare programs remain ongoing.

The Democratic Contender

On the other side of the aisle, longtime U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar headlines the Democratic field. Her campaign has focused on a series of troubling events from the past year, including:

• The killing of two Minnesotans by federal officers during an immigration crackdown
• The assassination of a state legislative leader
• A school shooting that claimed the lives of multiple children

Klobuchar has proposed plans aimed at addressing fraud and inefficiency in public spending, drawing on her earlier career as a prosecutor. She has pledged to launch a top-to-bottom audit of state government on her first day, examining agencies to root out waste, fraud, and abuse.

Notably, she has also worked to distance herself from Walz, expressing dissatisfaction with the status quo and insisting she is running because she wants genuine change.

A Broader Political Landscape

The Minnesota contest is one of 36 gubernatorial elections taking place this November. With 26 Republican and 24 Democratic governors currently in office, Republicans view Minnesota as a potential opportunity to flip a seat.

That said, the national environment presents challenges. Trump’s lagging popularity and voter discontent over the economy could complicate GOP ambitions, even in a state they see as ripe for change.

Trump’s Fixation on 2020

The Lindell endorsement fits a broader pattern in Trump’s primary involvement this year. As he has weighed in on various races, the president has remained preoccupied with his false claims about the 2020 election.

In Georgia, for instance, he made a late endorsement in a contested U.S. Senate primary for Rep. Mike Collins, praising his loyalty while pointedly referencing his opponent’s acknowledgment that Biden was legitimately elected in 2020.

A Mixed Track Record

Trump’s endorsements have not always translated into victory. His record in gubernatorial primaries this year has been decidedly mixed:

• In Georgia, his pick, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, was defeated by billionaire healthcare tycoon Rick Jackson, who spent more than $100 million, largely from his own fortune, to win the nomination.
• In Iowa, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra fell short in his bid, losing to businessman Zach Lahn.

Following those setbacks, Trump took an unusual approach ahead of a South Carolina primary runoff, endorsing both Republican candidates after initially backing only one. In that case, Attorney General Alan Wilson ultimately came out on top.

What It All Means

Trump’s endorsement of Mike Lindell underscores how tightly the president is binding his political capital to fellow election skeptics as the 2026 elections approach. Whether that strategy pays off in Minnesota remains an open question, given the crowded primary field and Trump’s uneven record in similar contests.

For now, the endorsement guarantees that the Minnesota governor’s race will remain firmly in the national spotlight, serving as a test of both Lindell’s appeal and the continued potency of Trump’s backing in a shifting political climate.