President Donald Trump suffered a significant political setback Tuesday night as MyPillow founder Mike Lindell, one of his closest and most high-profile allies, lost his bid for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in Minnesota — and promptly refused to concede the race.

According to Politico, Trump "suffered one of his biggest endorsement losses of the cycle" when Lindell's campaign for the GOP nomination in Minnesota's governor race came up short. Lindell, who was at the forefront of Trump's 2020 election denialism, fell to Republican state House Speaker Lisa Demuth in the gubernatorial primary. Minnesota has not elected a Republican governor since Tim Pawlenty won reelection in 2006, making the GOP primary an uphill battle for any nominee heading into November.

The defeat drew immediate online mockery and marks the third loss for Trump-backed candidates in just two weeks. It follows GOP Rep. Andy Ogles' defeat the prior Thursday and the loss of Trump's chosen candidate in a Michigan House race, who fell to a contender who had already withdrawn from the contest, Politico reported.

Despite being significantly outspent, Lindell had been viewed as a legitimate contender due to his proximity to the president, strong name recognition among MAGA supporters, and limited polling that suggested a competitive race.

Trump's endorsement influence has struggled notably in gubernatorial races this cycle. GOP Rep. Randy Feenstra lost to Zach Lahn in Iowa, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones fell to billionaire Rick Jackson in Georgia, and Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette lost in South Carolina — after which Trump offered a dual endorsement to Attorney General Alan Wilson. Gubernatorial primaries have historically tested the limits of presidential endorsements more than congressional races, as state-level candidates often bring their own established networks, fundraising bases, and local name recognition that can outweigh a Washington stamp of approval.

Political commentator Mike Nellis characterized the string of defeats as evidence that the president is becoming a "lame duck."

"He was doomed in the general against Klobuchar, but Mike Lindell falling short in Minnesota is a HUGE embarrassment to Trump after his endorsement," Nellis wrote on X. "He looks more and more like a lame duck every single day."

Fox News contributor Robert Wolf highlighted the broader pattern of losses.

"Brutal night for Trump and the MAGA wing as My Pillow Guy Mike Lindell loses his primary election for Governor of Minnesota and moderate David Crowley defeats democratic socialist Francesca Hong in the Wisconsin governor primary," Wolf wrote on X.

Ron Filipkowski reported on X that a "ranting and raving" Lindell told reporters he would not concede, even as returns showed Demuth leading 43 percent to 32 percent with 95 percent of the vote counted.

"I'm not going to give up this race until the votes are counted," Lindell said. The refusal echoed Lindell's longstanding post-2020 posture of contesting unfavorable electoral outcomes without evidence.