NEW YORK -- The founder of MyPillow, a vocal and in the past few weeks very visible supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump, says a backlash against the company has begun after a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol this month.
Mike Lindell, the company CEO and also the face of the brand, said major retailers like Bed Bath & Beyond and Kohl's have dropped his products recently.
Both companies confirmed the decision to cease carrying the brand Tuesday, but cited flagging sales rather than Lindell's actions or his support for Trump.
鈥淭here has been decreased customer demand for MyPillow,鈥� Kohl's said in an email. "We will sell our current inventory and not buy additional/future inventory in the brand. 鈥�
Lindell has continued to push bogus claims of election fraud since Trump's loss to President-elect Joe Biden in the presidential race.
That has led to extensive pressure on social media for outlets carrying MyPillow, based in Chaska, Minnesota, southwest of Minneapolis, to drop the brand.
Other companies have been caught in the crossfire as once-loyal customers are repulsed by the support of some executives for Trump.
Many households purged their pantries of Goya products after the CEO of the company appeared next to Trump at the White House and praised his performance.
Speaking with Right Side Broadcasting Network, which is best known for its live stream coverage of Trump rallies on its YouTube channel, Lindell said that Bed Bath & Beyond and Kohl's were good companies but were scared by the social media demands to boycott his products.
鈥淚 told them, you guys come back any time you want,鈥� he said in a video released on YouTube. 鈥淚t's not their fault that they're scared.鈥�
Lindell said MyPillow products have also been pulled from online furniture store Wayfair and Texas supermarket chain HEB.
Wayfair and HEB did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.
Aside from the retail pressure, Lindell is also facing potential litigation from Dominion Voting Systems for his accusations that their voting machines played a role in election fraud. The Washington Post reported that Dominion sent Lindell a letter earlier this month stating that they would pursue legal action against him.
