Tuesday on CNN, anchor Anderson Cooper had an explosive, 20-minute interview with the CEO of My Pillow Michael Lindell over his promotion of oleandrin, a plant extract from the poisonous plant oleander, as a treatment for coronavirus.
Lindell, who is on the board of the company that makes oleandrin had taken part in a July meeting at the White House in which President Donald Trump was reportedly enthusiastic about the proposed treatment.
Cooper said, “How are you different than a snake oil salesman? You have no medical background. There’s no evidence of the substance. It hasn’t been tested in animals or humans.”
Lindell said, “I think my platform stands by itself. The platform that God gave me of integrity and trust. I would not go all-in on something to help people if it wasn’t true.”
Cooper said, “If it wasn’t true, you wouldn’t do it?”
Lindell replied, “Absolutely, I wouldn’t do it. I wouldn’t do anything if it wasn’t truthful if I didn’t do my due diligence. Just like I did my due diligence when I met out president before he was president, the greatest president in the history of the United States.”
Cooper said, “Let me ask you about due diligence because you run a company called MyPillow, you ran ads that claimed your pillow could help snoring and migraines and Fibromyalgia. Prosecutors in nine counties in California sued you, and you settled for a million dollars and are not allowed to make scientific claims without any proof about your pillows. Your rating from the Better Business Bureau in Minnesota was lowered to an ‘F’ for, among other, things misleading customers on a buy one get one offer. That’s not a great track record for honesty, sir. You paid a million dollars.”
After a back and forth, Cooper said, “170,000 Americans have died. There are families out there that are desperate for any kind of remedy, any kind of cure, and you, sir, who have no medical background are pushing a product made by a plant, by the way, that is toxic and deadly.”
Lindell said, “I have no monetary gain here… I want to help people,”
Cooper shot back, “That’s not true. You’re going to make money from this. You’re on the board of this company. You’ve taken a financial stake in this company.”
Lindell said, “They asked me last week to go on the board.”
Cooper said, “Yeah, so that you could go out and promote it because you’re willing to promote anything even if it doesn’t work.”
Lindell said, “No, that’s not true, Anderson, and you know it. I don’t know. You probably sleep on a MyPillow.”
Cooper said, “Well, sir, I don’t actually. I don’t even know who you are.”
He continued, “You really are like a snake oil salesman. You could be, in the Old West, standing on a box, telling people to drink your amazing elixir, that there’s no proof.”
Lindell said, “I do what Jesus has me do. I give the glory to God. I want to help people. That’s my passion.”
Cooper said, “You think Jesus wants you out there promoting remedies that are not remedies because they’ve never been tested?”
Lindell said, “Ask yourself, why would I ruin my reputation?”
Cooper said, “Money.”
He added, “You don’t have a great reputation.”
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
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