MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell is scheduled to appear as a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Wednesday evening, despite an online backlash.
On Tuesday, a letter was posted to the website Common Cause, the political watchdog group, addressed to host Jimmy Kimmel and the production team of the ABC series. The letter noted that Lindell has been “a leading voice in spreading lies and disinformation regarding the 2020 election results, including producing several videos claiming that the 2020 elections were hacked.”
The letter went on to say, “Lindell’s work in pushing election disinformation has already had significant consequences for our nation, including the violent insurrection on January 6th at the U.S. Capitol that led to at least five people losing their lives. Lindell’s debunked conspiracy theories are also rooted in racism and white supremacy. The disinformation he is trying to sell is part of a larger narrative that essentially wants to throw out millions of votes from cities where people of color make up a majority or significant portion of the voting population, including Detroit, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Las Vegas.”
Making a case that Lindell should not appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the letter stated: “We believe that having Mr. Lindell on your show will give him a bigger platform to spread his lies and disinformation, and knowingly mislead the public about the integrity of our election systems. To be clear, even joking about his conspiracy theories can lead to the spread of disinformation. In fact, disinformation actors such as Lindell often seek to get their lies and conspiracy theories debunked in national media in order to give their disinformation broader reach. Given the state of our nation and nature of Lindell’s lies, we are asking that you immediately cancel his scheduled appearance.”
The controversial executive, one of President Donald Trump’s staunchest allies in the run-up to the 2020 election, is currently being sued by Dominion, one of the largest makers of voting machines in the U.S. The company alleges that Lindell had defamed them with false accusations that it had rigged the election for President Joe Biden.
Lindell’s repeated and vocal accusations of a rigged election, particularly after the Capitol Hill insurrection on Jan. 6, has led to him losing media opportunities and running into trouble with social media companies. In February, Lindell was permanently suspended from Twitter for repeated violations of spreading disinformation about the election, and false claims of voter fraud.
A ubiquitous presence on Fox News through much of 2020, Lindell’s social media ban and legal troubles have seen him disappear from the network this year. In early April, the businessman appeared on Steve Bannon’s podcast to rail against Fox News, accusing the network of waging a conspiracy against him and preventing him from revealing his version of the “truth” about the election.
(Excerpt) Read more in: The Hollywood Reporter