(NewsNation) — Mike Lindell, CEO of MyPillow, has spent tens of millions of dollars advertising on Fox News’ prime-time lineup. Now that Fox has fired Tucker Carlson and has been forced to pay out a $787.5 million settlement, will Lindell keep buying?
He says yes, even though he doesn’t like the network’s coverage of election matters.
“I bad-mouth Fox more than anyone … but as far as advertising goes, I’m still going to advertise on Fox,” he said Thursday on “CUOMO.” “We advertise on every platform.”
Lindell is a vocal election denier who has grown irritated with Fox News, which is now dispelling false claims about the 2020 election being stolen from former President Donald Trump.
The media company last week reached a settlement with Dominion Voting Systems, which alleged the network defamed its business when its anchors, including Carlson, allowed election deniers to go unchecked on-air after the 2020 election.
The New York Times reported in October that Lindell spent $80 million on advertising on Fox News’ prime-time opinion shows since January 2021. Media Matters reported in September that MyPillow ads on Fox News were running at all-time highs.
They frequently ran during the 8 p.m. ET hour of Carlson’s show, the content of which repelled other advertisers, as reported by the New York Times in 2020.
NewsNation host Chris Cuomo pressed Lindell on whether he was giving himself an “easy exit” by arguing his advertising decisions are business-related, not political.
“If you are a man of conscience, and you no longer like the politics and how they’re being portrayed, and you say it’s not even fair on Fox, how do you justify putting money there?” Cuomo asked.
“You think I like CNN? I thought it was horrific, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, all these places. But if I took away all the platforms, I wouldn’t have any place” to advertise, Lindell replied. “So, I have to separate business with (what) you call politics.”
Lindell himself is being sued by Dominion for $1.3 billion. He has also been ordered to pay $5 million to a man who successfully debunked Lindell’s false election claims.
Lindell had launched a “Prove Mike Wrong Challenge,” offering $5 million to anyone who could prove that the data was not valid. A private arbiter ruled Robert Zeidman, a software expert, did just that and was entitled to the money as part of the contest’s legal agreements.
“Those were three left wing guys; it was a setup that’s going to end up in court,” Lindell said of the ruling.