Donald Trump just put a controversial election warrior one step closer to running a swing state.
Story Snapshot
- President Donald Trump gave his “complete and total” endorsement to MyPillow founder Mike Lindell for Minnesota governor.
- Lindell leads the Republican primary field in internal polling and is pitching himself as a problem‑solving businessman.
- He also carries heavy legal baggage from failed election fraud claims and multimillion‑dollar defamation judgments.
- The race tests how much voters trust both political elites and the court system to police truth in politics.
Trump’s endorsement and the fast-changing governor’s race
President Donald Trump used his Truth Social account to back MyPillow founder Mike Lindell for governor of Minnesota, calling him “one of America’s greatest and most hardworking patriots” and offering his “complete and total endorsement.” Trump told supporters Lindell would “MAKE MINNESOTA GREAT AGAIN” as Republicans head toward their August 11 primary, signaling that this race is now a key test of his influence in a pivotal Midwestern state. For many voters who already feel ignored by national leaders, the move looks like another top‑down shake‑up driven from Washington, not St. Paul.
Mike Lindell has been running as a loyal Trump ally since he joined the governor’s race, and his campaign quickly touted fresh internal polling after the endorsement. His team says a Big Data Poll now shows him with about 43 percent support, far ahead of rivals such as Republican legislative leader Lisa Demuth, who sits near the high teens. Lindell credits Trump’s backing for his growing lead and argues that frustrated voters want someone outside the political class who will “fix problems” rather than protect the system that many see as broken.
Lindell’s pitch: businessman, survivor, and “problem fixer”
Lindell presents himself as a practical businessman who built a large Minnesota pillow company after overcoming serious addiction struggles, telling voters that his life proves the American Dream is still possible. He says he has spent many millions of dollars since 2018 fighting what he calls election fraud, framing that spending as sacrifice for the country rather than personal gain. On local television, he explains his run in simple terms: “I fix problems,” promising to tackle crime, immigration, and government waste with the directness he says career politicians lack. That message can resonate with both conservatives and liberals who feel everyday people are shut out while insiders get rich.
At the same time, Lindell leans hard into his brand as an outsider battling elites, telling supporters that federal agencies like the Department of Justice and the Internal Revenue Service “attacked MyPillow” because he would not drop his claims about the 2020 election. He argues that big box stores cutting ties with his products and the legal cases against him show how powerful interests punish anyone who questions the system. For Americans who already distrust Washington, big corporations, and the media, that story of pressure from “above” fits their fears that speaking out comes with a heavy price. But it also raises a serious question: where is the line between brave dissent and reckless falsehoods when the stakes are control of a state government?
Legal baggage: defamation cases and the “defamation renaissance”
Lindell’s run comes with major legal and financial shadows. A jury in Colorado found that he defamed a former Dominion Voting Systems employee by calling him a traitor who helped steal the 2020 election, ordering Lindell to pay about $2.3 million in damages. Smartmatic, another voting technology firm, is still seeking “nine‑figure” damages over 51 false statements a federal judge ruled were defamatory, though the final decision on liability is pending. A separate $1.3 billion lawsuit from Dominion, now renamed Liberty Vote, was dropped in 2023 only after years of costly litigation over claims courts repeatedly described as baseless. These cases show that judges and juries are now a major force in deciding what counts as truth in our politics.
Legal scholars say Lindell’s situation is part of a broader “defamation renaissance,” where people and companies turn to defamation law to fight political disinformation instead of relying only on debate and elections. Nationwide, defamation suits have risen with the spread of online media, as false claims travel faster and reach more people than ever before. Some welcome these cases as a needed check on powerful voices who can ruin lives with lies; others warn they can become “SLAPP” suits that silence critics and shield corrupt officials or corporate wrongdoers from public scrutiny. Voters watching Lindell’s race see this tension up close: is he a truth‑teller punished by elites, or a candidate whose own false claims now threaten to spill into Minnesota’s government?
Why this endorsement worries both parties and many voters
Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar has already called Lindell “Donald Trump’s choice,” portraying him as an outsider imposed on Minnesota by national MAGA politics rather than a homegrown leader focused on local needs. Democratic strategists on Minnesota television describe him as “the Minnesota version of Donald Trump” and argue his polarizing style could turn off independents in the general election. Some Republicans quietly share those fears, with local reports saying party leaders view him as unelectable even as Trump rallies the base behind him. This split inside the GOP speaks to a wider problem: political parties still chase loyalty and short‑term wins, even if the result is candidates many voters see as extreme.
Donald Trump endorses ‘Pillow Man’ Mike Lindell for Minnesota governor https://t.co/ytWNF3HUYL
— KSLA News 12 (@KSLA) July 16, 2026
For regular Americans on both the right and the left, the Trump–Lindell alliance taps into deep frustration with how the system works. Many conservatives are tired of what they see as woke agendas, open borders, and sky‑high costs pushed by global elites. Many liberals are angry about growing inequality, harsh crackdowns on immigrants, and what they view as discrimination against minorities. Yet both sides see the same pattern: a federal government and political class that seem more focused on power, paychecks, and posturing than on making it possible to build a secure life through hard work.
This race in Minnesota turns those broad worries into a sharp test. A sitting president has thrown full support behind a candidate who built his national fame on claims about a “stolen” election that courts and juries have repeatedly rejected. Lindell answers by saying the courts are part of a corrupt machine and that only outsiders like him can clean it up. Minnesota voters now must decide not just which policies they want, but whom they trust to tell the truth—politicians, judges, big companies, or perhaps none of the above. In that sense, Trump’s endorsement is more than a campaign move; it is a fresh reminder of how fragile faith in American institutions has become.
Sources:
zerohedge.com, theguardian.com, people.com, the-independent.com, nytimes.com, pbs.org, en.wikipedia.org, youtube.com, nbcnews.com, businessinsider.com, swlaw.com, justia.com, abajournal.com
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