President Donald Trump has endorsed for Minnesota governor, praising him as 鈥渙ne of America鈥檚 greatest and most hard working Patriots鈥� and giving formal backing to a fellow election denier a day before the Republican president delivers a national address he says will focus on election security.
Lindell established his national profile from his TV advertising campaign as the MyPillow Guy and has been one of Trump鈥檚 most outspoken supporters, echoing the president鈥檚 to Democrat Joe Biden was fraudulent.
鈥淢ike will be SPECTACULAR!!! He truly loves Minnesota, as do I, and wants to bring it back from oblivion and embarrassment. He can do it!鈥� Trump posted Wednesday on his Truth Social platform, referring to Lindell as 鈥渢he 鈥楶illow Man.鈥欌��
Lindell, who faces a crowded Republican field in an Aug. 11 primary, featured the endorsement on social media and thanked the president. 鈥淚 truly appreciate your confidence in me,鈥� he wrote, adding, 鈥淟et’s Make Minnesota Great Again!鈥�
Trump has hammered outgoing Gov. Tim Walz, Democrats鈥� 2024 vice presidential nominee, as incompetent and accused his administration of allowing rampant fraud in federal spending on childcare. Trump has employed racist rhetoric to as driving the alleged fraud.
Walz, who for a third term earlier this year, disputes the Trump administration鈥檚 characterizations. There are ongoing investigations into the state’s administration of federally supported childcare programs in the state.
Other Republicans avoid criticizing Trump’s choice
Lindell’s primary opponents include state and businessman Kendall Qualls, who has the endorsement of the Minnesota state GOP. Lindell has attacked Demuth as responsible for federal spending fraud. Demuth has blamed the Democratic administration and executive agency leaders that oversee federal grants to childcare providers.
Later Wednesday, Demuth posted on social media a clip of a caller to a Minnesota politics talk radio show who was both supportive of Trump as president but said: 鈥淲e’ve got to worry about the state of Minnesota. … And I think of all the candidates, Lisa’s got the most knowledge of what’s going on and how to get things done.鈥�
Qualls addressed supporters in a social media video. 鈥淧resident Trump is exactly what our country needed over the last decade and I鈥檓 proud to have supported him since day one,” he said. 鈥淚鈥檒l continue to support him and his America First policies when I am governor.鈥�
Lindell and Trump 鈥渉ave been friends for years,鈥� Qualls added. 鈥淭his race won’t be won by national endorsements. It will be decided by Minnesota conservatives.鈥�
Longtime U.S. Sen. headlines the Democratic field.
There are 36 gubernatorial elections this November. There currently are 26 Republican governors and 24 Democratic governors, and Republicans view Minnesota as an opportunity to flip a seat despite a challenging national environment because of Trump鈥檚 lagging popularity and voters鈥� discontent over the economy.
Klobuchar, in her initial campaign announcement, focused on the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown that involved federal officers , of a state legislative leader and that killed multiple children 鈥� all within the past year.
The senator has since proposed plans intended to address any fraud and inefficiencies in public spending and emphasized an earlier chapter of her career as a prosecutor.
鈥淥n Day 1, I will begin a top to bottom audit of our state government,鈥� she said this spring. 鈥淭hat audit will look at state agencies to identify waste, fraud, and abuse.鈥�
She also has sought to distance herself from Walz. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 like the status quo. I wouldn鈥檛 be running for governor if I wanted to have things remain the same. I want to see change,鈥� she said.
Trump revisits 2020 as he makes endorsements
As Trump has made endorsements in Republican primaries this year, the president has remained fixated on his lies about the 2020 election. In Georgia, recently, he made a late endorsement in a hotly contested U.S. Senate primary for Rep. Mike Collins, noting the congressman’s stalwart support and referencing passing comments made by his opponent, former football coach Derek Dooley, affirming that Biden was legitimately elected in 2020.
Trump has had a mixed record in gubernatorial primaries.
In Georgia, Trump’s pick, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, could not overcome billionaire healthcare tycoon Rick Jackson, who spent more than $100 million, mostly from his own fortune, to win the Republican nomination. In Iowa, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra losing to businessman Zach Lahn.
After those losses and ahead of the South Carolina primary runoff, Trump announced that he was , state Attorney General Alan Wilson and Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, after initially having given Evette his backing. Wilson ultimately prevailed.
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