Mike Lindell spent years building a national profile, first selling pillows, then defending President Donald Trump through some of the ugliest political fights in memory. He earned loyalty, scorn, and a costly lawsuit along the way. Now Minnesota Republicans have delivered a verdict on his political future. It’s time to pack up and go home. But Lindell doesn't see it that way. He's refusing to accept the count. How long can a Trump ally keep insisting an election was stolen when the math isn't on his side?
State Rep. Lisa Demuth (R-District 13A.), the speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives, defeated Lindell in Tuesday's Republican primary for governor. This wasn't a nail-biter. With more than 95% of the expected vote counted, Demuth led Lindell 43% to 32%, a double-digit margin that leaves little room for argument.
But Lindell isn't buying it. Speaking Tuesday night as officials counted the remaining ballots, he told supporters, "I'm down by 20,000 votes with 277,000 votes left to count... Now, would you give up if you got 277,000 left to count?" He insisted the remaining ballots were mail-in and early votes that favored Demuth.
He has refused to concede, and it looks like he won’t any time soon.
I should point out that Lindell was the Trump-endorsed candidate in the race, and I’m sure Lindell assumed that this made his victory guaranteed. That wasn’t the case.
Honestly, when I heard he was running for governor, I groaned. Not just because he was the MyPillow guy, but because he’s turned himself into a punchline. He even tried (and failed) to launch a social media network a few years ago, and it’s now some cheesy website that looks like it was made in 1999.
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In case it’s not obvious, I’ve never been a fan of Lindell, and MyPillows are garbage. He has never come across as a serious political candidate, and at this point, he's doing more harm than good to himself and to the Republican Party.
Look, questioning the 2020 election made sense. I think most of us know that. Heck, there’s a reason why Democrats tried to censor the speech of those who questioned it. The irregularities were obvious. But challenging the results of a decisive primary is a different animal entirely. It makes Lindell look less like a truth-teller and more like a sore loser who doesn’t know how to lose with dignity.
I mean, come on. Francesca Hong had a far stronger case to contest her Wisconsin gubernatorial primary than Lindell does in Minnesota, and even she conceded. She probably shouldn’t have because something shady clearly happened there. But Lindell won't take the hint. Flagging one dubious election is one thing. Crying foul on every election that doesn't break his way is a terrible look, and it undermines the legitimacy of every election integrity fight he's ever waged. Look at Kari Lake.
I'll give Lindell credit for building a real business, even though I think the product sucks, and for standing by Trump when plenty of others wouldn't. But the governor's race is over. He should go back to selling pillows before he does any more damage to the party he claims to be helping.
