MyPillow's Mike Lindell takes credit for Trump's August return-to-power fantasy
Former President Donald Trump really is focused on the absurd theory that he will somehow be returned to power in August, two people close to Trump tell The Daily Beast, confirming reporting by Maggie Haberman of The New York Times.
In the past few weeks, Trump "had begun increasingly quizzing confidants about a potential August return to power," The Daily Beast reports, citing the two Trump confidantes. "What's more, he claimed that a lot of 'highly respected' people — who Trump did not name — have been saying it's possible. Both of these sources said they decided not to tell the former president what they were thinking, which was that it's not going to happen."
There are people saying Trump will be returned to office — fringy lawyer Sidney Powell said so at a QAnon conference Sunday, for example — but "if Trump is saying August, that is probably because he heard me say it publicly," MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell told The Daily Beast on Wednesday. Lindell first made his prediction on former Trump strategist Steve Bannon's podcast in March, but he conceded Wednesday that "the month of August, for this, is subjective."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"It is my hope that Donald Trump is reinstated, after all the proof comes out, by the end of August, but I don't know if it'll be that month, specifically," Lindell told The Daily Beast. "That was my estimation. I spoke about it with my lawyers who said that they should have something ready for us to bring before the U.S. Supreme Court by July. So, in my mind, I hope that means that we could have Donald Trump back in the White House by August. That's how I landed on August, and I'm hopeful that that is correct."
It is not, obviously. Lindell's original theory was that he and his lawyers would present incontrovertible evidence of election fraud to the Supreme Court in April or May, leading to a 9-0 ruling to return Trump to the presidency and bipartisan buy-in over the summer that putting Trump back in the White House is the only right thing to do. Read more about Trump's interest in this fantasy, and its embrace by his grassroots fan base, at The Daily Beast.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
The ‘eclipse of the century’ is coming in 2027Under the radar It will last for over 6 minutes
-
Striking homes with indoor poolsFeature Featuring a Queen Anne mansion near Chicago and mid-century modern masterpiece in Washington
-
Why are federal and local authorities feuding over investigating ICE?TODAY’S BIG QUESTION Minneapolis has become ground zero for a growing battle over jurisdictional authority
-
Trump DOJ targets Fed’s Powell, drawing pushbackSpeed Read Powell called the investigation ‘unprecedented’
-
What are Donald Trump’s options in Iran?Today's Big Question Military strikes? Regime overthrow? Cyberattacks? Sanctions? How can the US help Iranian protesters?
-
Maduro’s capture: two hours that shook the worldTalking Point Evoking memories of the US assault on Panama in 1989, the manoeuvre is being described as the fastest regime change in history
-
Trump’s power grab: the start of a new world order?Talking Point Following the capture of Nicolás Maduro, the US president has shown that arguably power, not ‘international law’, is the ultimate guarantor of security
-
A running list of everything Trump has named or renamed after himselfIn Depth The Kennedy Center is the latest thing to be slapped with Trump’s name
-
A running list of the international figures Donald Trump has pardonedin depth The president has grown bolder in flexing executive clemency powers beyond national borders
-
Trump pulls US from key climate pact, other bodiesSpeed Read The White House removed dozens of organizations from US participation
-
The billionaires’ wealth tax: a catastrophe for California?Talking Point Peter Thiel and Larry Page preparing to change state residency
