Mike Lindell is funding numerous QAnon-supporting figures and other extremists with MyPillow codes
Written by Alex Kaplan
Published
Updated
![mike_lindell_qanon_mypillow.png](https://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/styles/scale_w1024/s3/static/D8Image/2023/03/15/mike_lindell_qanon_mypillow.png?itok=IObDlwQ_)
Citation Andrea Austria / Media Matters
Update (11/3/23): This piece has been updated with additional reporting.
MyPillow CEO, election denier, and conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell has been funding at least dozens of online shows and figures that support the QAnon conspiracy theory and other far-right extremism by giving them discount codes for products on his site. Media Matters found at least 35 QAnon-supporting or other far-right extremist entities that have MyPillow discount codes.
Lindell, a pillow salesman and one of Fox News’ biggest advertisers, has been a prominent booster of false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. Following the 2020 election, Lindell hosted forums pushing election fraud claims and was photographed entering the West Wing in the final days of Donald Trump’s presidency with notes that seemed to advocate for martial law. Lindell was also sued by Dominion Voting Systems, a key target of conspiracy theorists claiming fraud in the 2020 election, and Justice Department investigators later subpoenaed and seized his phone in connection to the breach of a Colorado county’s voting system. In January, Lindell unsuccessfully ran for chair of the Republican National Committee.
In addition to pushing election fraud claims, Lindell has been tied to supporters of the QAnon conspiracy theory, associating with these figures and pushing claims that have been largely amplified by them. Lindell has also provided MyPillow discount codes using terms associated with the conspiracy theory (“QAnon,” “Q,” and “storm”).
A Media Matters investigation has uncovered a financial relationship between Lindell and the QAnon community: The MyPillow CEO has been giving numerous QAnon-supporting shows and figures MyPillow discount codes for their followers to use. Lindell has also provided discount codes for other far-right and conspiratorial figures. The company’s vice president for sales and marketing confirmed to The New York Times that the company gives entities with discount codes “a share — 25 percent or more — of all sales linked to that code,” meaning the codes are helping to fund those entities.
Media Matters' review found at least 18 QAnon-supporting shows and figures that have had MyPillow codes:
- Liz Crokin, a QAnon and Pizzagate conspiracy theorist. In an interview appearance on Crokin’s show, Lindell urged viewers to use her MyPillow code.
Citation From the November 1, 2023, edition of Vampire Hunter, streamed on Rumble
- Sidney Powell, an attorney who represented Trump’s 2020 campaign and has repeatedly shared QAnon content, including related claims in her lawsuits and wearing a Q vest at a QAon conference.
- MatrixxxGrooove Show (or MG Show), a QAnon show that has been banned from multiple platforms. Lindell himself has appeared on the show.
- The B2T Show, which describes itself as covering “Qanon Posts, Qanon News, Qanon Related Prophesies.”
- Melissa Redpill The World, a QAnon influencer who previously wrote a book titled QAnon and 1000 Years of Peace: Destroying the New World Order and Taking the Kingdom of Christ by Force!, which reportedly claimed Q was fighting “political corruption and global organized crime networks that include political elites, the Illuminati, the Rothschild family, major corporations and banks, celebrities, and those whom she calls ‘fake Jews.’”
- On The Fringe, a show whose Truth Social page profile includes the QAnon slogan “where we go one, we go all,” or “WWG1WGA” for short.
- RedPill78, a QAnon-supporting show that has been banned from YouTube. Host Zak Paine, who participated in the January 6 insurrection, has bragged that the MyPillow code meant that “Mike Lindell wants to keep me on the air.”
- And We Know, a QAnon show that has been banned from multiple platforms.
- Badlands Media, a QAnon channel on Rumble that publishes multiple shows hosted by QAnon influencers. Lindell has appeared on the channel multiple times, and when one of its founders told him the channel got a MyPillow code, Lindell said that was “awesome.”
Citation From a Badlands Media video uploaded to Rumble on January 5, 2023
- American Media Periscope, an online QAnon channel.
- Uncensored Abe, a show that describes itself as covering “historical Q posts that tie in with current news.”
- Pepe Lives Matter, a QAnon influencer who bragged that MyPillow had “teamed up with me” and that funds from the code would “go to support my writings and research” that would “expose criminals like only anons will.”
![Pepe Lives Matter MyPillow code](https://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/styles/scale_w1024/s3/static/D8Image/2023/03/08/2023-03-08_15-23-20.png?itok=TItgaXJD)
- TRUReporting, a QAnon show banned from YouTube that has written that the discount code helps the show “stay online, and operational.”
- Karli Bonne, a QAnon influencer who has co-hosted TRUReporting.
![TRUReporting MyPillow code](https://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/styles/scale_w1024/s3/static/D8Image/2023/03/08/2023-03-08_15-34-52_0.png?itok=FfycLAvj)
- BardsFM, a QAnon show hosted by Scott Kesterson, who has called alleged January 6 participants “patriots” and has reportedly coordinated with a QAnon militia group.
- Mary Grace, an online show host who has praised “the Q community” for “actually uncovering conspiracies that are available through open-source research.”
- Redpill Project, a QAnon channel that includes a show called Morning Qoffee.
- The Mel K Show, which is associated with the QAnon movement.
Additionally, Media Matters found at least 17 other far-right extremists or extremist entities that have also had MyPillow codes:
- Roger Stone, a longtime conservative political operative with a history of violent and incendiary rhetoric.
![Roger Stone MyPillow code](https://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/styles/scale_w1024/s3/static/D8Image/2023/03/10/2023-03-10_15-17-37.png?itok=Cm-GvTrn)
- Stew Peters, a conspiracy theorist and podcast host who has embraced white nationalism, the Pizzagate conspiracy theory, and the QAnon-connected adrenochrome conspiracy theory. While promoting the MyPillow code in January 2022, Peters bragged that he “had a LONG conversation with Mike Lindell last night.”
![Stew Peters MyPillow code1](https://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/styles/scale_w1024/s3/static/D8Image/2023/03/10/2023-03-10_12-58-39_0.png?itok=tIac8foD)
- Infowars, the conspiracy theory outlet founded by Alex Jones.
- Millie Weaver, a former Infowars personality who has also tweeted the QAnon slogan.
- Sherri Tenpenny, a physician and anti-vaccine activist who is a member of the “Disinformation Dozen” — a group of influencers identified in a report by the Center for Countering Digital Hate as the originators of an estimated 65% of vaccine misinformation spread on Facebook and Twitter. Tenpenny has also endorsed the adrenochrome conspiracy theory.
- Steve Turley, a right-wing YouTube commentator who has spread election and related misinformation. (He has also posted the QAnon slogan and QAnon hashtag.)
- Laura Loomer, a far-right anti-Muslim figure who has endorsed white nationalism.
- The Vigilant Fox, a figure known for spreading anti-vaccine misinformation.
- Audit The Vote PA, an election denial organization co-founded by a QAnon supporter who has called the conspiracy theory “a very valuable resource,” promoted 9/11 conspiracy theories, and claimed that Pizzagate is “absolutely real. It is 100% real.”
- Grant Stinchfield, a former NRATV and Newsmax host who has dedicated multiple episodes of his podcast to promoting QAnon.
- Election Wizard, a conspiracy theorist who was described by Vice as “one of the biggest pushers of election conspiracy theories in America” and who has also expressed “support for the ‘Constitutional Sheriff’ movement—which is the idea that county sheriffs are essentially above the law and that their authority should supersede that of the federal government.” Vice notes Lindell has “an entire section on his website dedicated to Election Wizard discounts.”
- Pete Santilli, a far-right internet radio host who has repeatedly called for violence, including for “100 million people to take up arms to defend our nation.” He was also charged in 2016 for broadcasting his show live from the occupation of the Malheur wildlife refuge (charges were ultimately dismissed), and he has promoted QAnon influencer Austin Steinbart.
- Nick Moseder, who Vice reported is “a long-time election truther who has been spreading disinformation about vote-rigging and other baseless election conspiracies for months on his social media channels, including a show he hosted on YouTube before he was banned from the platform.”
- Brian Lupo (who is known online as “CannCon”), a Badlands Media host and writer for the far-right blog The Gateway Pundit.
- Jen Orten and Sophie Anderson, who are election denial conspiracy theorists known online as “The Two Red Pills.” The duo unsuccessfully tried to get voting machine data from multiple Utah counties and announced that the code would “help fund our lawsuits to save Utah.”
![Two Red Pills MyPillow code](https://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/styles/scale_w1024/s3/static/D8Image/2023/03/14/2023-03-14_11-48-16.png?itok=svDCYw02)
- WeLoveTrump, an online conspiracy theory channel that has promoted QAnon, 9/11 Trutherism, and anti-vaccine misinformation.
- Jack Posobiec, a far-right conspiracy theorist who has promoted Pizzagate and is tied to white nationalists.