Mike Lindell’s new conspiracy theory: DeSantis’ Miami-Dade win can prove Trump was cheated
Mike Lindell wants to dive into how easily Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis won the Democratic stronghold of Miami-Dade County in November, and he claims the data could help prove a grand election conspiracy favoring former President Donald Trump.
Lindell, best known as the “My Pillow Guy” for the online bedding company he runs, is attacking the county agency in interviews. He claims Elections is withholding ballot-machine records tied to the DeSantis 11-point win in Miami-Dade, a county Trump lost by seven points two years earlier.
“Now all of a sudden, Miami-Dade County says ‘We can’t give them to you,’” Lindell said on a recent segment on his online channel, Lindell TV. “Hand them over. Give them over. Or, you know what, we’re going to come down there.”
Lindell is a top Trump supporter, and a leading voice backing up Trump’s false allegations that the 2020 presidential election was rigged against him.
While calling the DeSantis win an “anomaly,” Lindell also said he believes the Republican governor won the county fairly. He claims the 2022 cast vote records — which show how machines recorded ballots — could reveal Trump was cheated out of his own Miami-Dade win in 2020 by “machine manipulation.”
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DeSantis was the first Republican gubernatorial or presidential candidate to win Miami-Dade in 20 years, and polls show he’s the top challenger to Trump’s 2024 campaign for the GOP nomination.
“I don’t think they did any cheating like they did in 2020,” Lindell told the Miami Herald on Friday evening, referring to Miami-Dade election results. He said the 2022 results could prove rigged tallies from 2020. “Here’s Miami-Dade County in 2020 when they cheated, and here’s Miami-Dade County in 2022 when they didn’t. We could finally have an A/B example.”
The interview did not last long, with Lindell reacting angrily when pressed to explain how “machine manipulation” occurred in Miami-Dade in 2020.
“You’re a full of crap journalist,” Lindell told a Herald reporter who called. “Have a nice day.”
Courts repeatedly rejected lawsuits claiming fraud as the Trump campaign tried to overturn the 2020 election results, and Lindell is facing a $1.3 billion defamation suit by voting-machine maker Dominion Voting Systems for allegations of machine manipulation.
On Friday, Lindell claimed Miami-Dade’s Elections Department was stonewalling his efforts to obtain 2022 data.
“They’re holding it back and giving us excuses,” he said. “It’s disgusting.”
Suzy Trutie, deputy supervisor of Miami-Dade’s Elections Department, said she wasn’t aware of a records fight involving Lindell or anyone else over the 2022 results.
She said the agency is processing multiple requests for cast vote records.
“It’s still being worked on,” she said.
This story was originally published January 6, 2023 at 7:53 PM.