During a livestream event this week for the launch of his social media site known as “Frank,” MyPillow founder and CEO Mike Lindell got trolled by someone calling in and pretending to be former President Donald Trump. Someone on the other end of the line told Lindell that Trump was “on stand by,” and Lindell eagerly proclaimed that Trump was “our real president,” which is obviously delusional. After the pillow company CEO got convinced that the former president was really on the call, the Trump impersonator dropped the act and seemed to curse Lindell out.
Lindell’s reaction was laughably unhinged. He said that “they” — whoever “they” actually are — were “attacking” him, adding: “They’re hacking into our phones. It came up that it was a legitimate number.” Caller ID spoofing — a very basic tech trick that telemarketers use on a no doubt daily basis — does not constitute an “attack” or a “hack.” It’s a simple mechanism that allows calls to come up under numbers other than the one the caller is using. Lindell’s description of the move as a “hack” is laughably imbecilic.
Watch Lindell below:
Mike Lindell was just duped into thinking Trump was calling into the program. pic.twitter.com/VUMy1etNA3
— Zachary Petrizzo (@ZTPetrizzo) April 19, 2021
Lindell has pledged that his new social media site will not allow, among other things, cursing, which is a notable contrast from its stated mission of providing a haven for the free speech that conservatives falsely claim is suppressed elsewhere. In reality, conservatives can count a nationwide cable channel (Fox) that reaches millions of homes a day as on their side, and yet their self-important persecution complex continues to grow.
Notably, ex-President Trump himself has reportedly been exploring launching his own social media site, which could put him in competition with one of his most prominent far-right supporters. Lindell has been one of the most prominent proponents of the lie that the 2020 presidential election was rigged for Biden, and the pillow manufacturer and distributor has claimed that Trump will be back in office as president later this year, which is obviously not at all realistic. Lindell has revealed that his frenetic far-right activism has hurt his company — he’s estimated that retail companies ending their relationships with his firm could cost the company $65 million this year, although he seemed hopeful that ads elsewhere could drive enough sales to offset the losses.
