The president’s words of support for My Pillow Guy came at a rally in North Carolina. President Trump is planning a one-year suspension ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Mike Lindell announces run for Minnesota governor
MyPillow founder Mike Lindell has announced that he is running for governor of Minnesota.
President Donald Trump endorsed “My Pillow Man” Mike Lindell at a rally on Dec. 19, touting him as the front-runner to become the next governor of Minnesota.
Lindell, CEO of bedding company My Pillow, announced on December 11 that he will run against Trump’s rival, current governor and 2024 Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz.
Lindell said his biggest goals include stopping fraud, fixing a “broken school system,” stopping “explosive property taxes,” and “deporting illegal immigrants.”
A former crack addict, Lindell and his company gained national attention primarily for their eccentric appearances in late-night television commercials hawking pillows. In recent years, he has become known for supporting President Trump’s claims of fraud following the 2020 presidential election.
“That man suffered. These people went after him. They went after his company,” Trump said at a rally in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. “He was just someone who said, ‘Well, this election was so skewed.’ It was so rigged.”
Multiple recounts, investigations, and audits confirmed the legitimacy of the election results.
“He fought like hell,” President Trump said of Lindell. “That man deserves to be governor of Minnesota, and I’ll tell you right now, he’s a great man.”
President Trump’s move to be cautious in the upcoming Minnesota gubernatorial election came amid a rally in which he shared many of the talking points he has repeated in recent days, claiming that under his administration the United States has become “the hottest country in the world.”
On December 17, President Trump gave a similar speech at the White House and used the same phrase. He claimed at a Hanukkah reception on Dec. 16 that he had brought peace to the United States for the first time in 3,000 years. And at a December 9 rally in Pennsylvania, he dismissed complaints that he was not focusing enough on the economy.
The White House has announced the rally in North Carolina as part of a series of stops President Trump will make around the country ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Republicans hold majorities in both houses of Congress, and the legacy of a term-limited president is at stake.
President Trump also introduced Michael Whatley, former chairman of the Republican National Committee and former chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party. The president is endorsing Whatley in the state’s upcoming Senate election.
Whatley is running to replace North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, who chose not to seek re-election in 2026 after criticizing Medicaid cuts and voicing opposition to President Trump’s signature tax bill.
North Carolina is a crucial battleground state, and the Senate race is one of the key issues in the upcoming midterm elections that will determine whether Republicans retain control of Congress and their ability to enact President Trump’s policies. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate.
“I’m going to be a warrior every day for this great state,” Whatley promised. “I intend to be a champion for conservatives in North Carolina and an ally of our great president.”
Contributions by Terry Collins, Francesca Chambers and Joey Garrison and zach anderson.
