Trump Endorses Mike Lindell for Minnesota Governor as Poll Shows Him Pulling Away

Trump praises the MyPillow founder as a poll gives Lindell a widening 9-point lead in the Republican primary three weeks before the vote.

First Published: July 21, 2026, 7:11 PM ET

WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald Trump endorsed Mike Lindell, the MyPillow founder and prominent Trump ally, for governor of Minnesota, calling him a candidate who “loves Minnesota with all of his heart.”

Trump praised Lindell as new polling showed the Republican pulling further ahead in the primary field. The endorsement backs a first-time candidate three weeks before Minnesota voters go to the polls.

Here is the full post on Truth Social: “Mike Lindell would be a GREAT Governor. He loves Minnesota with all of his heart. President DJT KSTP/SurveyUSA poll: Lindell, Tafoya increase their leads; Craig, Ellison margins shrink:” on July 21, 2026 at 10:59 PM ET.

This is the first message released by Trump today. On average, Trump produces roughly 16 posts per day since his inauguration on January 20, 2025.

The move fits a broader pattern in Trump’s recent messaging, with 96 of his 493 posts over the last 30 days focused on elections.

Lindell now leads the Republican primary for governor at 35% support, gaining 8 points from the prior month’s survey by mentioning the source (see kstp). House Speaker Lisa Demuth gained 4 points but trails Lindell by 9 points, while GOP-endorsed Kendall Qualls fell to a distant third at 11%. Trump’s endorsement arrived as Lindell posted his largest single-month gain, including a 17-point jump with voters 65 and older.

The endorsement raises the stakes for Minnesota Republicans weighing a nominee against the eventual Democratic-Farmer-Labor candidate. A Lindell win in the August primary would hand the party a nominee closely tied to Trump’s movement. A loss would blunt Trump’s influence in a state he has never carried in a general election. Rivals Demuth and Qualls stand to lose the most, having built campaigns on establishment support that the poll shows eroding.

Lindell, born June 28, 1961, in Mankato, Minnesota, founded MyPillow in 2004 and grew it into a Minnesota manufacturing company, according to ballotpedia.org. He announced his run for the Republican nomination in December 2025 and quickly drew support from Trump, according to ballotpedia.org. He has never held elected office.

For the average Minnesota voter, the primary determines who will appear on the November ballot for the state’s top executive office, a post that shapes taxes, schools and public safety spending. The August contest will narrow a crowded Republican field to a single name.

This has happened before. Trump has repeatedly intervened in Republican primaries to elevate loyal candidates, and his endorsements have reordered contests in states from Ohio to Pennsylvania. His backing of Lindell follows the same script, converting a celebrity businessman’s name recognition into primary momentum, according to cbsnews.com.

Minnesota voters will decide the Republican primary in the coming weeks, with the state’s primary elections set roughly three weeks after the poll’s release, according to mprnews.org. The winner would advance to the general election in November 2026. No governor has yet been chosen, and the outcome remains open across both parties, according to pbs.org.

Outsider candidates seeking Minnesota’s governorship isn’t the first time political newcomers have chased the office. Jesse Ventura, a former professional wrestler running under the Reform Party banner, won the 1998 election with 37% of the vote, defeating two major-party rivals in one of the biggest upsets in modern state history. Ventura served a single four-year term before declining to seek reelection, a reminder that celebrity momentum in Minnesota can win an election yet strain the work of governing that follows.