MINNESOTA — President Donald Trump endorsed MyPillow founder Mike Lindell for Minnesota governor in a Truth Social post on Wednesday, July 15, 2026. The endorsement positions Lindell as a favored candidate in a crowded Republican primary just weeks before early voting concludes and comes heightened national focus on election integrity claims.

Trump described Lindell as “one of America’s greatest and most hard working Patriots” in the post. He added that Lindell “will MAKE MINNESOTA GREAT AGAIN” and referred to him as “the ‘Pillow Man.’” Trump also stated that Lindell has “sacrificed” more than almost anyone else “in fighting for our country, especially when it comes to Election Integrity.” In another portion of the post, Trump wrote: “Mike will be SPECTACULAR!!! He truly loves Minnesota, as do I, and wants to bring it back from oblivion and embarrassment. He can do it!”

The endorsement arrives one day before Trump is scheduled to deliver a national address focused on election security, linking Lindell’s gubernatorial bid to broader claims about electoral systems. Lindell has echoed assertions that the 2020 presidential election defeat to Joe Biden was fraudulent, a position that has defined much of his political activism in recent years. Trump has separately accused the administration of outgoing Gov. Tim Walz of enabling rampant fraud in federal spending on childcare and has employed rhetoric targeting Minnesota’s Somali immigrant population as central to the alleged misconduct. Walz disputes those characterizations.

Minnesota’s Republican primary for governor is set for August 11, with early voting already underway. The general election will be held on November 3. Lindell faces multiple opponents on the primary ballot, including 2022 nominee Scott Jensen and state representative Peggy Bennett.

Kendall Qualls, who won the Republican party’s endorsement in May, is also running. A Star Tribune/KARE 11/Hubbard School Minnesota poll conducted in June showed Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar leading Qualls 48% to 37%, and leading Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth 48% to 40%. The same poll found Klobuchar ahead of Lindell 53% to 36%, with 11% of respondents undecided in that hypothetical matchup.

Klobuchar entered the gubernatorial race in January after Gov. Tim Walz opted not to seek a third term. Walz, who is the Democrats’ 2024 vice presidential nominee, defeated Republican Scott Jensen by 7.7 percentage points in the 2022 election. His decision to step down opened the field for both parties, though the Democratic side has consolidated around Klobuchar while Republicans remain divided.

Lindell built MyPillow into a manufacturing company in Minnesota and established his national profile through a television advertising campaign portraying him as the “MyPillow Guy.” He was born in Minnesota but spent several years registered to vote in Texas. In a court filing last year, he described himself as “a Texas citizen,” raising questions about his eligibility under state law. Minnesota requires gubernatorial candidates to live in the state for at least a year before the general election. On July 15, the same day as Trump’s endorsement, Lindell told reporters he has re-established residency in Minnesota.

The Trump endorsement injects national attention into a state-level race already shaped by claims of election fraud and demographic rhetoric. With early voting active and the August 11 Republican primary approaching, the backing could influence voter turnout and candidate viability in a contest where the eventual nominee will face a well-known Democratic incumbent in Klobuchar. The residency questions surrounding Lindell add a layer of legal and procedural scrutiny, as Minnesota’s one-year residency requirement for gubernatorial candidates may be tested depending on when his return to the state is deemed effective.

Trump’s scheduled national address on election security, coming immediately after the endorsement, ties Lindell’s candidacy to a recurring theme in Trump’s political messaging. The outcome of the primary and general election could signal the extent to which election fraud narratives and polarizing rhetoric resonate in a state that has historically leaned Democratic but remains a focal point in national political strategies.