MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell pulled his ads because Fox News refused to run an ad promoting an event linked to claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election.
QUICK FACTS:
- The chief executive of MyPillow Inc. said he is pulling his ads from the network after a disagreement over a proposed commercial that would have aired his claims of widespread election fraud, according to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
- Lindell is one of Fox News’ biggest advertisers, notes WSJ.
WHAT MIKE SAID:
- The MyPillow CEO said he “wanted to cancel the ads as soon as possible and that he had told his ad buyer to inform Fox News,” according to WSJ.
- He also said he had “asked the network to air a commercial promoting a cyber symposium, which he is scheduled to live stream next month.”
- Mr. Lindell said the commercial “wouldn’t specifically mention claims of election fraud. But he has said the symposium will prove the 2020 election was stolen from President Donald Trump through manipulation of election machines,” notes WSJ.
WHAT FOX SAID:
- Fox said in a statement, “It’s unfortunate Mr. Lindell has chosen to pause his commercial time on FOX News given the level of success he’s experienced in building his brand through advertising on the number one cable news network.”
BACKGROUND:
- Lindell’s Sioux Falls, South Dakota cyber symposium is scheduled for August 10-12.
- Lindell is also offering $5 million to any symposium attendee who can prove that his cyber data from the November 2020 election is not valid.
- Lindell said in an interview that he is in possession of “packet captures” (or “PCAPs,” which log activity over a computer network, for example showing votes being “flipped” from Trump to Biden by hackers, as Lindell alleges) from the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
- “Our country was attacked by China. The election was hacked and we’re gonna have a cyber symposium,” Lindell vowed during a press conference outside a Washington federal court. “And we have all the packet captures for the whole election.”
- Mr. Lindell says he’s bringing his case to the U.S. Supreme Court.
