Jesse Ventura has called President Donald Trump “a draft-dodging coward” and hinted he may again run for Minnesota governor amid a surge of immigration enforcement raids in Minneapolis.
Ventura served as governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003 before deciding not to run for reelection. He’s a Vietnam veteran and former Navy SEAL. If not for his public service, some may know him for his wrestling career as Jesse “The Body” Ventura in the WWE.
During a visit to his alma mater, Roosevelt High School, Ventura had some choice words for Trump on Thursday, who was medically exempt from the Vietnam War draft with a diagnosis of bone spurs.
“He’s the draft-dodging coward who, when it was his time to serve his country, he did what all rich white boys did. I wasn’t a rich white boy…We had to go…He’s gonna tell me what courage is?” Ventura told local outlet Fox 9.
Trump’s Homeland Security Department has targeted Minneapolis in what it has called the largest immigration enforcement operation it has ever carried out.
On Wednesday, 37-year-old U.S. citizen Renee Nicole Good was fatally shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, which the Trump administration is framing as an act of self-defense. That same day, a federal agent was reportedly filmed deploying a chemical irritant on a crowd at Roosevelt High School.
The Department of Homeland Security told Fox 9 that Border Patrol agents were chasing down a U.S. citizen, who the agency said “was actively trying to impede operations,” when he drove into a school zone. A crowd at the school formed when someone, who identified himself as a teacher, assaulted an agent as the citizen was being removed from his car, according to DHS.
“Despite repeated warnings to cease, the crowd continued with their hostilities and assaults. Officers used targeted crowd control for the safety of law enforcement and the public. No tear gas was deployed,” the agency said.
Ventura paid a visit to the high school Thursday to show his support.
“As a graduate of Roosevelt High School and as the former governor of Minnesota, I’m so proud of Roosevelt High School and how they stood up for what is supposed to be America and freedom. And freedom is not arresting people without warrants,” Ventura told Fox 9. “We have a system here — it’s called a Constitution, and we have a party, the Republicans, who don’t seem to want to abide by the Constitution.”
Ventura then hinted that he may run for governor again. The next gubernatorial election for the state is in November, and Governor Tim Waltz has announced he will not seek re-election.
“You know what? Maybe it’s time for Jesse. I only did one term. I’m owed a second,” Ventura said.
Ventura won the governorship in 1998 on the ticket of the Reform Party, a centrist political party. The former governor endorsed Walz for reelection in 2022, but he has been critical of both the Republican and Democratic parties.
Speaking on the fatal shooting of Good, Ventura said, “Anytime you have the loss of life that needlessly happens, that’s a tragedy. And what occurred yesterday did not have to happen.”
