The Commercial Appeal

Stores nix Mypillow after CEO’S comments

Lindell still pushing claims of election fraud

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NEW YORK – The founder of Mypillow, a vocal and in the past few weeks visible supporter of President Donald Trump, said a backlash against the company has begun after a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol this month.

Mike Lindell, the company CEO and also the face of the brand, said major retailers like Bed Bath & Beyond and Kohl’s recently dropped his products.

Both companies confirmed the decision to cease carrying the brand Tuesday, but cited flagging sales rather than Lindell’s actions or his support for Trump.

“There has been decreased customer demand for Mypillow,” Kohl’s said in an email. “We will sell our current inventory and not buy additional/future inventory in the brand.”

Lindell has continued to push claims of election fraud since Trump’s loss to President-elect Joe Biden in the presidenti­al race.

That has led to extensive pressure on social media for outlets carrying Mypillow, based in Chaska, Minnesota, southwest of Minneapoli­s, to drop the brand.

Other companies have been caught in the crossfire as once-loyal customers are repulsed by the support of some executives for Trump.

Many households purged their pantries of Goya products after the CEO of the company appeared next to Trump at the White House and praised him.

Retailers during the Trump administra­tion have wrestled with a divisive political environmen­t, risking the loss of business from one side or the other.

Among the first brands to get a public pink slip was Ivanka Trump clothing, which Nordstrom stopped carrying in early 2017. Other retailers dropped the brand and it closed for business a year later.

Speaking with Right Side Broadcasti­ng Network, best known for its live stream coverage of Trump rallies on its Youtube channel, Lindell said Bed Bath & Beyond and Kohl’s were good companies but were feeling pressured by social media campaigns.

Lindell said Mypillow products have also been pulled from online furniture store Wayfair and Texas supermarke­t chain HEB.

Wayfair and HEB did not immediatel­y respond to a request for comment Tuesday from The Associated Press.

Aside from the retail pressure, Lindell is also facing potential litigation from Dominion Voting Systems for his accusation­s that their voting machines played a role in election fraud. The Washington Post reported that Dominion sent Lindell a letter earlier this month stating that they would pursue legal action against him.

The company has already filed a defamation lawsuit against lawyer Sidney Powell for the same reasons after the attorney represente­d Trump in a series of unsuccessf­ul lawsuits contesting the election outcome.

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