Trump endorses MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell in Minnesota governor's race

MINNEAPOLIS (CN) — President Donald Trump endorsed MyPillow CEO and founder Mike Lindell for Minnesota governor Wednesday, calling him “one of America’s greatest and most hardworking patriots.”

“If given the chance, Mike will be SPECTACULAR!!!,” Trump wrote in an early morning Truth Social post. “He truly loves Minnesota, as do I, and wants to bring it back from oblivion and embarrassment. He can do it!”

The endorsement throws a wrench into a tight, three-way battle for the GOP candidacy in a state Republicans are set on winning amid local turmoil over social services fraud and immigration enforcement operations.

Lindell reacted to the endorsement in a post on X, saying “Thank you, Mr. President! I truly appreciate your confidence in me as I run to become the next governor of Minnesota.”

His campaign website reads: “with the president’s endorsement, this race looks all but over.”

In his post, Trump added nobody has sacrificed more for the country than Lindell, “especially when it comes to election integrity.”

“He will MAKE MINNESOTA GREAT AGAIN!!!,” the president said in the post. “Mike Lindell has my complete and total endorsement, he will not let you down.”

Lindell launched his campaign in December 2025, and quickly became the most well-known Republican in a crowded field because of his close relationship with the president and national profile as the MyPillow Guy.

Trump and Lindell have long held, without evidence, that the 2020 presidential election was “stolen” to secure the office for Democrat Joe Biden.

Lindell continues to position himself as an adamant election denier; he previously claimed major voting machine companies Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic were “criminal enterprises.”

Last year, Lindell found himself on the losing end of two court cases involving the companies, as federal judges ruled his false statements about their voting machines were defamatory.

Dominion Voting Systems agreed to a confidential settlement in its defamation suit against Lindell last month.

Trump’s endorsement comes one day before he is expected to address the nation on voting machines and election security.

The president also used his Truth Social endorsement to slight outgoing Governor Tim Walz, calling him one of the “worst and most incompetent governors in the history of the USA."

Walz, who has long faced criticism over widespread social services fraud in the state and his office’s supposed failure to address early warning signs, dropped his bid for reelection in January — though he disputes the Trump administration’s characterization of him.

The endorsement intensifies an ongoing feud between the Trump administration and Minnesota’s Democratic leadership, who believe the White House is targeting the state for its political leanings.

Polls ahead of the Aug. 11 primary election mostly show Lindell as the Republican frontrunner by a few points over state House Speaker Lisa Demuth, who Lindell has attacked as responsible for federal spending fraud.

Kendall Qualls, a retired health care executive who won the GOP endorsement in May, rounds out the three-way race.

The winner of the Republican primary will face the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party nominee in November. U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, who announced a run for governor in January, is the heavy favorite to succeed Walz.

Klobuchar’s key points in her campaign focus on rooting out state government fraud, lowering costs of living for families and positioning herself as a moderate who can bridge party lines in the state.

Klobuchar has also been vocal about her concerns over the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement directives in Minnesota and across the country.

The Plymouth native has a substantial financial advantage, and is out-raising GOP candidates by a wide margin, according to reports.

Despite the big endorsement, Lindell faces an uphill battle. It’s been 20 years since a Republican won the Minnesota governor election, though the GOP believe several state factors, including Walz’s departure and widespread fraud concerns, make this cycle winnable.