Trump says Minnesota cyberattack was not Iran, instead blames governor
President Donald Trump said in a cabinet meeting that he believes a recent cyberattack on Minnesota utilities was Gov. Tim Walz fault, not Iran’s.
Mike Lindell is stepping down as MyPillow CEO to focus his attention on his Minnesota gubernatorial bid.
In a press release posted on X, Lindell said he would be stepping down as CEO but will remain a member of the company’s board of directors and a shareholder.
“I’m stepping down as CEO of MyPillow so I can devote 100% of my time and energy to my campaign for Governor of Minnesota,” Lindell said. “Minnesota deserves my full attention, and that’s exactly what I’m giving it. I’m all in, and I can’t wait to earn your vote.”
Lindell, who entered the governor’s race last year, received a boost from President Donald Trump, who offered him his “complete and total” endorsement.
“Mike Lindell, the ‘Pillow Man,’ and one of America’s greatest and most hard-working Patriots, is running to be GOVERNOR OF MINNESOTA, replacing one of the worst and most incompetent governors in the history of the U.S.A.,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
From election denying to running for election
Lindell entered the race only months after a federal judge found that he had defamed technology company Smartmatic with false statements that its voting machines helped rig the 2020 presidential election in favor of former President Joe Biden.
The ruling, which was handed down in September 2025, found that Lindell had falsely claimed 51 specific times that Smartmatic interfered with the results.
“The Court concludes that, based on the record presented, no reasonable trier of fact could find that any of the statements at issue are true,” U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Bryan wrote, according to reporting from The Hill.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.