MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell spars with CNN reporter in off-the-rails interview

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell sat down with CNN investigative reporter Drew Griffin for an interview that aired on Anderson Cooper 360 Thursday, and it didn’t take long for things to go off the rails. Lindell has spent months in a futile effort to prove the 2020 presidential election was stolen from former President Trump. Despite the burden of proof being squarely on Lindell, he’s even gone so far as to offer $5 million to anyone who can prove him wrong, as long as they show up to his upcoming cyber symposium.

Lindell claims to have proof that votes were hacked and switched in 15 counties, several of them in Michigan, despite the fact that the Republican-controlled state legislature did an investigation and found no evidence of voter fraud, even slamming “demonstrably false theories.” Griffin personally visited one of those counties to see how the voting there works, and CNN reached out to the 14 others. Officials in all 15 counties, some Republican and some Democrat, said there was no fraud. But Lindell isn’t buying it, nevermind that none of the voting systems in any of those counties is connected to the internet.

“We couldn’t find a single person that said this is even possible,” Griffin said. “They say you are mistaken. They think you’re wrong. The bottom line is, they have paper ballot backups that prove that they were not…” “So you guys went and they let you audit there?” Lindell asked, interrupting Griffin. “They let you do a full audit? CNN? You guys did a full audit on 15 counties, huh?”

Lindell claims to have spent millions of dollars in his pursuit of evidence that the election was stolen, leading Griffin to wonder if Lindell is simply being scammed, an idea he dismissed.

“You could possibly be the victim of a scam here,” Griffin said. “Well then why don’t you come to the symposium and make $5 million,” Lindell replied. “Are you worried about me? We should give a hug. You’re worried about old Mike? Oh, God bless you.”

But the mood quickly changed.

“We’re worried that what you are doing is mistakenly or deliberately destroying the confidence in the legitimate, elected president of the United States, and fostering real damage to this country,” Griffin said. Lindell furiously denied ever saying anything bad about Democrats or President Biden, and accused Griffin of lying.

Lindell has claimed numerous times to have evidence that Trump really won the election, without ever producing any such evidence, and says that people should just trust him.

“People who have watched your video believe what you say,” Griffin said. “100 percent,” Lindell replied. “If you’re wrong,” Griffin said, “isn’t that very dangerous?” “Yes, but I’m not wrong,” Lindell responded. “I’ve checked it out. I’ve spent millions. You need to trust me and come there.”

Anderson Cooper 360 airs weeknights at 8 p.m. on CNN.

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