President Donald Trump formally backs Mike Lindell in Minnesota governor bid after praising him as a voting-security “patriot”

President Donald Trump has endorsed Mike Lindell, the founder of MyPillow, in Minnesota’s race for governor, according to PBS NewsHour Politics. The endorsement adds Lindell, a prominent figure in post-election claims that his supporters say disputed the 2020 presidential results, to a roster of high-profile candidates backed by the president ahead of the 2026 state election cycle.

In praising Lindell, Trump described him as “one of America’s greatest and most hard working Patriots,” according to PBS NewsHour. The outlet also characterizes Lindell as an election “denier,” a description associated with Lindell’s long-running assertions disputing the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.

PBS NewsHour reported that Trump’s formal backing of Lindell was announced on July 15, 2026. The timing is notable because it follows a recent pattern of attention from the White House to election administration issues, including safeguards and procedures intended to prevent fraud or irregularities.

The endorsement arrived one day before Trump’s planned national address, which PBS NewsHour said he expected to focus on election security. The White House communications strategy around election administration is likely to shape how endorsements and messaging are received by voters who are focused on ballot handling, verification processes, and state-federal roles in election oversight.

In Minnesota, the governor’s office oversees state election administration in collaboration with local officials, including county election authorities that manage voter registration databases, ballot preparation, and the mechanics of voting and counting. While Trump’s endorsement is political rather than administrative, it underscores how national attention on election integrity issues can carry into state-level races.

Trump and his allies have previously argued for stronger safeguards in election systems. Critics, including election officials and legal authorities, have said broad claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election were not supported by the evidence used in court proceedings and audits. PBS NewsHour’s reporting frames Lindell in that contested context, while the endorsement itself is a separate, campaign-relevant action.

Lindell’s candidacy also raises practical questions about how Minnesota’s election laws and procedures would apply regardless of national endorsements. State statutes govern deadlines, recount rules, and certification processes, and those steps proceed through election administrators and established review channels after Election Day.

As the Minnesota campaign moves toward the filing and campaigning periods, the impact of Trump’s endorsement will depend on voter response and state party organization, while election officials continue to operate under Minnesota’s existing election administration framework and court-reviewed requirements for recounts and challenges.