It’s hardly their first encounter. Lindell has advised associates that the president is encouraging him to run for governor of Minnesota in 2022, to “maintain Minnesota purple past” the 2020 race, in keeping with an individual with direct information of his feedback.
Trump advised him that “he actually needs me to run,” in keeping with the supply, who spoke with Lindell in late February quickly after the MyPillow CEO’s dialog with Trump within the White Home.
Lindell was on the town for the annual Conservative Political Motion Convention over that final weekend of February, and on Feb. 29, posted a photograph on Instagram of himself with Trump on the White Home, saying that he had been appointed the chair of the Trump 2020 marketing campaign in Minnesota. “We’ll make Minnesota nice once more!” he wrote within the caption.
Officers within the White Home have additionally had inside conversations about Lindell’s political future, together with a potential run for governor. The truth that the MyPillow inventor is a “Trump Republican” makes the president’s staff enthusiastic about his potential candidacy, in keeping with an individual accustomed to the discussions.
Lindell is “likeable, has an incredible persona and nice redemption story,” this particular person mentioned. “It has been a tricky state however there may be pleasure and people are excited in regards to the prospect that Minnesota is trending purple.”
Lindell has teased a possible run for years, telling associates that Trump had wished him to run in 2018, however apparently Lindell dropped the thought after it grew to become clear that his firm was on the point of layoffs. MyPillow ultimately laid off 150 staff in 2019.
Lindell, a lifelong Minnesota resident, would face off towards the Democrat incumbent Tim Walz, who was elected in 2018. Walz presently has a 55% approval ranking and a 25% disapproval ranking, in keeping with current polling from the Star-Tribune of Minneapolis.
In a short interview, Lindell denied that Trump has inspired him to run. “I’ve by no means talked to Donald Trump about it. I hardly ever have a dialog with him, perhaps as soon as in a blue moon.” A White Home spokesman declined to remark.
Although he claimed that he was “100 p.c dedicated” to a run in 2022, one one who spoke to him added that he could have simply been boasting. “Mike is a really braggadocious man in the identical vein as Trump, the place he’ll say ‘I’m going to do X Y Z’ after which simply completely forgets about it, or completely decides that it’s not in his greatest pursuits anymore and so simply lets it disappear,” this particular person added.
Lindell pushed again on this notion and mentioned: “Once I say I do one thing, I’m just like the president: I observe by way of and do it. I maintain my guarantees.”
The flirtation, nevertheless, has began to develop into extra public.
In current weeks, Lindell printed an autobiography, telling native media retailers throughout interviews that he’s open to the opportunity of operating in 2022. “You understand, individuals maintain asking me, so yeah, I’ll contemplate it and I’ll pray about it and see if God leads me on a path,” he mentioned throughout a January look on The Paul & Jordana Present on Information Speak 830 WCCO. As he just lately advised the Star-Tribune, he appointed his son Darren as the corporate’s chief working officer, “[i]n case we do something political.”
A Minnesota GOP operative famous that Lindell attended the winter assembly of the Republican Governors Affiliation, the place individuals inspired him to run, in keeping with one other Republican accustomed to the conversations. (Former Virginia governor Bob McDonnell, who needed to resign after a present scandal, introduced him to the occasion, in keeping with this particular person and McDonnell, in an interview.)
Lindell confirmed that some governors he met on the RGA inspired him to run.
“All of them did,” he mentioned, talking about attendees of the RGA. “Everyone inspired me. There was lots of encouragement.”
McDonnell, a former chairman of the RGA, mentioned he first met Lindell at a lunch for Newsmax TV down in Palm Seaside earlier this yr and Lindell advised him he was contemplating operating for governor.
“I believe like many individuals, they’ve these life-changing experiences after which they begin to ask how can I do this to perhaps assist different individuals so I believe that’s in all probability the place Mike is,” he mentioned. “I believe he’s acquired a very good coronary heart and a want to serve different individuals and this is without doubt one of the methods he’s contemplating doing that.”
He mentioned he launched him to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, the present chairman of the RGA, and different governors like South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster. Lindell additionally requested Iowa’s Kim Reynolds in regards to the realities of operating a state, in keeping with the Republican operative. “He’s by no means run for workplace earlier than so he’s making an attempt to determine what to anticipate if he have been to win and the way to do an excellent job,” this operative mentioned.
Lindell’s autobiography, which is self-published, chronicles his rise from a crack cocaine addict to the multimillionaire inventor of MyPillow, which introduced in $300 million in income in 2017. His nonstop, lo-fi infomercials on Fox Information have turned him right into a ubiquitous presence on the Trump-friendly community, giving him unparallelled identify recognition within the state.
Amy Koch, a Minnesota GOP political strategist mentioned she believed Lindell would make a robust candidate given his prominence, his ties to Trump, his deep pockets — and the shortage of any potential competitors within the main. “The Minnesota GOP has not had success since 2006 with [former governor Tim] Pawlenty, in a statewide race,” she advised POLITICO.