Mike Lindell, the Chief Executive Officer of MyPillow and a staunch advocate of former President Donald Trump, voiced his discontent with Fox News’ choice to cease broadcasting MyPillow advertising. During an extensive discussion with Steve Bannon, Lindell ascribed the unforeseen action to his unabashed endorsement of Trump.
Lindell stated that Fox News has terminated its association with MyPillow, although he is still unaware of the specific reasons for this decision. He further hypothesized that the cancellation could be attributed to the linkage of his business with Trump, asserting, “They know my brand is branded right with our great real President Donald Trump.” In addition, he alluded to his recent choice to include Lou Dobbs into his network, speculating whether this action may have influenced Fox’s decision.
Lindell emphasized the significant capital his company allocated towards advertising on Fox News. “You give them $100 million a year, at least in the filings, to buy advertising,” he expressed incredulously during his appearance on Fox News.
“Lindell emphasized, “Hundreds of millions of dollars.”
Lindell’s apprehension stretched beyond the immediate monetary setback, encompassing wider ramifications for MyPillow and the fundamental tenet of freedom of expression. “You go after a company because your CEO is concerned about helping save our country and secure our election platforms,” he expressed with regret.
Some people saw Lindell’s condition as a disconcerting indication of the current era.
The dynamics of his association with Fox News have been intricate and have undergone changes throughout the course of time. Throughout history, Lindell has served as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MyPillow and has consistently been a prominent advertiser on Fox News. MyPillow became one of the most prominent marketers on Fox News due to the regular airing of its commercials on the network.
Nevertheless, this alliance had difficulties, especially following the 2020 U.S. Presidential election. Lindell, an unwavering advocate of former President Donald Trump, asserted multiple allegations regarding the election’s fraudulent nature. These assertions resulted in a change in the dynamic between Lindell and several media organizations, notably Fox News.
Due to his persistent endorsement of these assertions, certain networks, such as Fox News, imposed restrictions or completely discontinued broadcasting his advertisements or inviting him as a guest. Consequently, Lindell and Fox News engaged in a public dispute, when Lindell censured the network for failing to endorse his assertions on the election and for their choice to curtail his visibility on their platform.
Unless an extraordinary political event occurs, it is highly likely that Donald Trump will secure the Republican presidential nomination. The Fox News town hall on Wednesday night featuring Trump did not weaken that notion in any way.
The former president exuded a kind of ease and self-assurance that made him look extremely electable. However, the noteworthy aspect of the situation was that although broadcasters Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum did question the former president on a few matters, the overall atmosphere of the event was surprisingly friendly for a town hall including two journalists and the most talked about political figure of our day.
It resembled the formal appointment of a forthcoming leader and, even more astonishingly, a capitulation by Fox News to, according to the most recent polls, the man who may very well be president again. Indeed, it was a surrender by Fox to Trump.
This was a significant occasion for the industry. Fox News is the leading cable news network, attracting a larger audience than the combined viewership of CNN and MSNBC.
The programming is highly influential and consistently supports the Trump administration. Prior to this, it seemed that a deliberate endeavor had been undertaken to shift focus away from Trump and endorse other Republican candidates, such as Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley.
It was like whoever is in control of Fox were doing their best to kill Trump’s chances at winning a second term.
Both individuals were unable to undermine Trump’s control over the Republican Party. Fox News provided a warm and welcoming reception for the 45th president on Wednesday night.
Mainstream media took note of what happened during the town hall. The Associated Press reported:
“As Donald Trump’s two main Republican rivals slugged it out Wednesday on an Iowa debate stage, the former president appeared across town on a Fox News Channel town hall in a counterprogramming move where few discouraging words were heard.”
Trump walked onstage to cheers and chants of “USA,” stayed at the end to sign autographs and heard one audience member blurt out “love you” after he took her question.
The AP article went on, “When asked about his previous statements that a second term as president would be about retribution for his enemies, Trump said he wouldn’t have time for it.”
“The ultimate retribution,” he said, “is success.”
It was Trump’s first live appearance on Fox News since 2022, and how the network handled it was closely watched. It came less than a year after Fox agreed to pay Dominion Voting Systems $787 million to settle a lawsuit related to lies told in the aftermath of the 2020 election.
Fox instituted a soft ban against Trump in the opening days of the Biden administration, and the former president has complained about some of its personalities being insufficiently loyal to him.
Baier and MacCallum respectfully questioned Trump on various topics, including political violence and the suspected violation of emoluments by accepting substantial sums of money from foreign governments during their presidency. They didn’t hit him hard.