Mike Lindell moves the goalposts on a run for Minnesota governor

• "Why would anybody want to run if they had the same machines with the election fraud?" Lindell said Friday.
• "It will all get out there, and when it does, we'll see what elections are going to have to be done with paper ballots and no machines. Otherwise, it doesn't make sense to put in everybody's resources and time."

Between the lines: While he's leaving the door open, Lindell's comments create a path for bowing out.

Why it matters: If Lindell runs, name recognition and his ties to Trump could give him an edge among GOP voters.

• Many top Republican officials and consultants think having the unpredictable pillow salesman at the top of the ticket would spell disaster for their efforts to win statewide in 2022.

How we got here: Lindell has been flirting with a bid for months, but his commitment to promoting conspiracy theories about the 2020 election — including a much-covered White House visit — has triggered legal backlash and trouble for his business.

• Last fall, Lindell said he'd run if Trump won another term. Then, in early January, he told the Star Tribune he was "90-95%" sure he'd jump in and would decide "once we know Donald Trump is our president."

This story first appeared in the Axios Twin Cities newsletter, designed to help readers get smarter, faster on the most consequential news unfolding in their own backyard.

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