Lindell, a close ally of former President Donald Trump, has repeatedly pushed disproven voter-fraud conspiracy theories about the presidential election, prompting the voting-machine company Dominion to sue him for $1.3 billion.
Some attendees at Monday s event brought along Trump merchandise, including hats and flags. Salon.com s Zachary Petrizzo reported that a group of far-right Proud Boy members attended, citing a source at the event.
The event featured talks from Ben Carson, Trump s secretary of housing and urban development, who joined on video call, and the conservative podcaster Eric Metaxas. The comedian Joe Piscopo of Saturday Night Live fame performed a music set, which included the national anthem.
We re certainly aware of some of the controversy,
Corn Palace official Doug Greenway told Insider.
The day rate for the venue was $1,750, plus fees for light and sound.
In the days since Mike Lindell, chief executive of MyPillow, announced he d be holding a rally at the Corn Palace in South Dakota, the venue s management has been fielding phone calls from about 30 people a day.
That s an amazing number of calls for the venue, director Doug Greenway told Insider via phone. The Palace is in Mitchell, a city with a population of about 15,000. No one has said: Oh, gosh, why are you having this person? It s, like, How do we get in and when s it open? he said.
Mike Lindell, condemning cancel culture, coming to Corn Palace to unveil new social media platform, Frank
The My Pillow CEO will showcase Frank at the iconic event center this Monday. While Lindell s rhetoric worries many, given past false allegations of election fraud, some Republican elected leaders see exercise in free speech. Written By: Christopher Vondracek | ×
The Corn Palace will temporarily suspended finishing the murals once the George McGovern campaign button from 1972 mural is finished until later this spring. (Matt Gade / Republic)
PIERRE, S.D. In 1972, after losing all but Washington, D.C., and Massachusetts, Sen. George McGovern sat on a hotel bed in downtown Sioux Falls and penned his presidential campaign s eulogy.