Trump endorses Mike Lindell for Minnesota governor race
Trump’s backing gives Mike Lindell a high-profile lift in Minnesota, but the MyPillow founder’s election-denial baggage could cap his appeal statewide.
Donald Trump endorsed MyPillow founder Mike Lindell for Minnesota governor on July 15, giving one of his most loyal allies a prominent boost ahead of the Aug. 11 Republican primary. The move lands in a state that has leaned Democratic in recent statewide races and does not register voters by party.
Lindell formally entered the 2026 race at a news conference at his MyPillow factory in Shakopee, where he said he would seek the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic Gov. Tim Walz. Trump praised Lindell as “one of America’s greatest and most hard working Patriots,” a signal that personal loyalty to the former president still carries heavy weight in Republican politics.
The endorsement also exposed fault lines inside Minnesota Republicans. Local coverage described the backing as coming after the party-endorsed candidate was already in place, turning Trump’s move into a split with the state party establishment. Minnesota GOP politics have been shaped by suburban voters and independents in recent cycles, and the state’s elections can hinge on that broader electorate rather than on any fixed party base.
Lindell was already a familiar name before Trump weighed in. His public profile has been built around his close support for Trump, his promotion of false claims about the 2020 election, and the business and legal troubles that followed. Earlier polling had put Lindell near the top of the Republican field, making Trump’s endorsement less an introduction than an attempt to consolidate an already crowded and volatile primary.
The political test now is whether that combination of celebrity, grievance politics and Trump backing can help Lindell win a nomination in a state that has leaned blue in recent statewide contests, or whether it sets a ceiling once the race shifts beyond the Republican primary. Minnesota Secretary of State results show Walz won reelection in 2022, underscoring how difficult a general-election path can be for any GOP nominee there. Trump’s endorsement makes Lindell the latest test of how far the former president’s brand can carry a controversial loyalist in a state where governance usually matters more than movement politics.
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