EXCLUSIVE: Jesse Ventura. The Body vs Trump. Jesse for Governor Again? Senate?

Summary

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Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff

Episode 433: EXCLUSIVE — Jesse Ventura. The Body vs Trump. Jesse for Governor Again? Senate?

Released: February 4, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode features an exclusive, in-depth conversation between host Paul Rieckhoff and Jesse Ventura, the iconic independent, Navy veteran, and former governor of Minnesota. Ventura returns to the national stage with full force, sounding the alarm about contemporary threats to democracy, the rise of authoritarian tactics—especially with ICE—and urging a new generation, including veterans, to step up and run for office as independents. Ventura reflects on his life, career, and provides a bold, unfiltered critique of Trump, establishment parties, and the state of the nation. The interview is rich in personal stories, political insight, and memorable Ventura moments.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Jesse Ventura’s Political Roots and Victory as an Independent

• Ventura recaps his political journey: from mayor of Brooklyn Park (1990) to governor of Minnesota (1999–2003).
• Emphasizes he only raised $300,000 to win the governorship, outspent by millions from both major parties.
  • Jesse Ventura (22:58):
    "You know how much money I raised to become the governor? 300,000. You know how much the Democrats and Republicans combined spent to beat me? 12 million. And I won. So you can see I was a very irritating person to them."
• Paul notes Ventura’s pioneering example proves independents can, and have, won major elections.

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2. ICE Tactics, Authoritarianism, and Connection to January 6th

• Ventura reacts furiously to ICE operations in Minneapolis, particularly one at his old high school, Roosevelt High.
  • Calls ICE "Gestapo" and draws parallels to authoritarian history and his parents’ WWII service.
  • Connects ICE’s tactics to Trump’s pardoning and reusing of January 6th participants, suggesting many are now empowered within ICE.
• Both discuss the international outrage, especially with ICE agents being sent abroad (e.g., at the Olympics in Milan, met with protest).
• Critique of government shifting blame on protestors rather than accepting responsibility.
  • Ventura (45:43):
    "We in Minnesota do not believe a word out of that guy's mouth or Trump's. We don't believe it. He blamed all the violence on the protesters. He said it's our fault and that we should be cooperating... So we as citizens are supposed to violate our own constitution to support their Gestapo tactics?"
• Ventura shares emotional family history—his mother served as a nurse in North Africa, his father fought under Patton—asserting he’s earned the right to call out authoritarian tactics in America.
  • Ventura (48:06):
    "If my parents were alive and they saw what ICE is doing... I am sure that my parents would call that the Gestapo. That's why... I have every right, in my opinion, to call Trump's ICE the Gestapo."

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3. Trump, Fake Tough Guys, and Elite Deceit

• Ventura recalls his brief early acquaintance with Trump after his 1998 governor win, when Trump considered a third party run.
  • Ventura (38:48):
    "He was friendly... a fun guy to be with. I had dinner with him in New York City... Woody Harrelson was there too, kept disappearing to smoke a joint. Turns out Woody just couldn't take being there unless he was stoned."
• Sharp critique of Trump’s "con job" and the nation's susceptibility to it.
  • Ventura (40:35):
    "Yeah, because this country is always susceptible to a good con job... we go hook, line and sinker for somebody like him who's a complete con man. I mean, look at every business he's ran..."
• Ventura, himself in the WWE Hall of Fame, blasts Trump’s induction.
  • Ventura (41:02):
    "He's in the Wrestling Hall of Fame... I'm angry over that... I have friends who are not in the Hall... Ken Patera was possibly the strongest man in the world... Well, guess what, he's not in the hall and Trump is."
• Ridicules Trump’s avoidance of military service, accusing him of false bone spur claims and never missing a round of golf.

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4. The Crisis of American Democracy and Call to Action

• Ventura calls current times the "most dangerous" in his life for American democracy.
  • Ventura (80:11):
    "I believe this is the most dangerous time in my 75 years on the planet for our country. I believe this is the most dangerous because of who's in the White House... it's going to take everybody to survive this."
• Asserts the Insurrection Act is a real threat, and that deploying the US military against Americans is unconstitutional and a red line.
  • Ventura (51:05):
    "The Constitution says the US Military is not to be used against its own people... Now he's gonna send us into Minnesota... In January, three murders in Minneapolis—two by ICE."
• Encourages veterans to run for office as independents, noting independents now outnumber both major parties in self-identification.
  • Ventura (74:19):
    "Let me just say this to all the veterans out there. Run for office. Run as an independent. I can do it. You can do it. Your fellow veterans are going to rally behind you... Our country is at stake right now, veterans, and it's time for us to save it again."

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5. Independent Movement, Candidate Recruitment, and Next Steps

• Ventura underlines the potency of recruiting known figures as independent political candidates; name recognition and TV presence are essential.
  • Ventura (57:10):
    "What we need to be doing to get independent candidates is to get people with that name recognition. That way you don't have to go buy it."
• Teases a possible return to the ballot—considering runs for governor or Senate (as interim if Klobuchar leaves).
  • Ventura (61:03):
    "If she [Klobuchar] came back here, run and won... she gets to name her replacement... What if she named me the interim senator, then for two years, Donald Trump would have to face me out in Washington. The coward would have to look at the frogman."
• Strong call for political disruption, not “passive resistance.”
  • Ventura (65:39):
    "It's time for us to not be passive anymore. Enough of this passive resistance. This guy doesn't understand that. The only strength he knows is to kick his butt."

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6. Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On America’s susceptibility:
  "This country is always susceptible to a good con job."
  — Jesse Ventura (40:35)

• On voting for women:
  "The last election, like it or not, they have the opportunity to elect the first woman president and they dropped the ball... Wouldn't it be about time for a woman? That's how I viewed it."
  — Jesse Ventura (34:46)

• On ICE:
  "In Minneapolis in January... three murders. Two of them were done by ICE. So ICE is the leading murderer... and apparently there's going to be no trial."
  — Jesse Ventura (51:05)

• On running as an independent:
  "I can do it. You can do it. Your fellow veterans are going to rally behind you. It ain't about money, people. You served our country before when you were asked to do it. There's no greater calling than what's going on right now."
  — Jesse Ventura (74:19)

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7. Below the Radar: Hope & Heroism

• Paul highlights Staff Sergeant Michael Alice, awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for heroism in Afghanistan.
• Ventura shares story of fellow SEAL Mike Thornton, who received the Medal of Honor for saving another Medal of Honor recipient, Tommy Norris.
  • Ventura (72:55):
    "Mike got the Medal of Honor for saving the life of a previous Medal of Honor winner, Tommy Norris... I don't think that'll ever, ever occur again."

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8. Personal Stories & Football

• Ventura reminisces about playing football against Dave Winfield, "the greatest athlete in Minnesota history," and reflects on his own journey from quarterback to defensive end.
  • Ventura (78:31):
    "In high school I was 6'3", 200 pounds... and I was the smallest guy on our D line."
• Picks Seahawks for the Super Bowl due to Sam Darnold's unique comeback story.

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Ventura’s take on ICE and Minnesota’s resistance: [22:58]–[27:53], [45:43], [48:06]
• Ventura on Trump, wrestling, and fake toughness: [38:29]–[43:44], [67:52]–[70:49]
• Call for veteran and independent candidacies: [74:19], [56:54]
• Stories about football, Dave Winfield: [75:31]–[79:09]
• Medal of Honor stories: [72:29]–[74:02]
• Boldest one-liners referencing American democracy at risk: [80:11]

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Tone and Language

Ventura’s language is blunt, kinetic, unapologetically critical of Trump and government overreach (“Gestapo tactics,” “criminal in the White House”). His passion for constitutional values, military/veteran solidarity, and independent politics comes through in every answer. Rieckhoff’s style is similarly forthright but adopts a coaching, energizing approach, framing the interview as a rallying point for politically homeless voters.

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Conclusion—Why Listen?

• Jesse Ventura is back, sounding the alarm and offering hard-earned wisdom.
• Offers bold, direct criticism of authoritarian trends and calls for independent action—especially among veterans.
• Firsthand stories connect politics, culture, and personal legacy in a way few public figures can.
• The episode is a rallying cry for the millions disenchanted with the major parties, and anyone who cares about defending democratic values.

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Notable Quotes Summary Table

| Time | Speaker | Quote | |---------|----------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 22:58 | Jesse Ventura | "I raised 300,000... Dems and Republicans combined spent 12 million. I won." | | 45:43 | Jesse Ventura | "We...do not believe a word out of that guy's mouth or Trump's." | | 48:06 | Jesse Ventura | "If my parents were alive...they would call that the Gestapo." | | 40:35 | Jesse Ventura | "This country is always susceptible to a good con job." | | 74:19 | Jesse Ventura | "Run for office. Run as an independent. I can do it. You can do it." | | 51:05 | Jesse Ventura | "Three murders in Minneapolis in January. Two of them were done by ICE." | | 80:11 | Jesse Ventura | "This is the most dangerous time in my 75 years on the planet for our country."|

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If you’re in the frustrated middle, hungry for raw truth and hope, or considering your own independent run, this episode is a must-listen.

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Transcript

[Announcer]

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[Jesse Ventura]

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[Announcer]

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[Jesse Ventura]

We in Minnesota do not believe a word out of that guy's mouth or Trump's. We don't believe it. He blamed all the violence on the protesters. He said it's our fault and that we should be cooperating with them completely. So we as citizens are supposed to violate our own constitution to support their Gestapo tactics?

[Paul Rykoff]

Welcome to Independent Americans. Welcome to a very big episode 433. I'm your host, Paul Rykoff and I'm coming to you from New York City, USA. It is Wednesday, February 4th. It is hump day. It is still super bowl week. Last night was the Pro bowl and the weather here in New York is a little bit steamier, a balmy 35 degrees or so. And I told you every day I'm going to pick a different musical artist to introduce my kids to. Today's artist is John Denver. Because we all need a little more sunshine on our shoulder right now. And our guest coming up is going to bring sunshine and then some. But first, I'm going to bring you the five eyes I bring in every single show. To you new folks, it's independence, integrity, information, inspiration, and impact. And if you want to talk about impact, our guest today is going to bring it. The OG of independent veterans, the former independent governor of Minnesota, Jesse the Body Ventura, is exclusively in a national conversation with me, an extended conversation. And he is not holding back. This is Jesse in vintage form. He's going to issue a call to action. He is not pulling any punches on Trump. And he reacts to the news that's happening right now in Minneapolis and also tells you some really good stories. But first, there's a ton happening today. And when it comes to ice, they continue to run rampant across America. Don't believe the government. Believe your eyes. And there was powerful testimony yesterday from people brutalized by ICE citizens, disabled people, ordinary people, brave people who sat before Congress and told their stories, including Miramar Martinez, who talked about being shot by Border Patrol. Check this out.

[Testimonial Speaker / Witness]

As I continue to drive past the Border Patrol agents, I could hear my back passenger window shatter. And I felt bullets continue to pierce my body. As I attempted to drive to a safe location, I began to feel lightheaded. I looked down and I noticed blood gushing out of my arms and legs. And I realized I'd been shot multiple times. As I became lightheaded, I became worried I will pass out and endanger other drivers on the road. I managed to drive a mile from where the incident happened, and I pulled into a parking lot of a mechanic shop And I called 911.

[Paul Rykoff]

All right, so they fired five shots into her, and she had seven holes. And there was this disturbing clip from Congressman and Robert Garcia reading a text message of an agent bragging about shooting Miramar. Check this out, Ms. Martinez. These are images of texts sent by the agent who shot you. And they're actually. They're actually disturbing to read. But I think it's important for the public to see this.

[Grainger Representative]

The agent linked an article about your shooting and texted. Read it.

[Paul Rykoff]

Five shots, seven holes. I fired five rounds and she had seven holes. Put that in your book, boys. Oh, well, it is what it is. Shit happens. This is someone that works for the United States government. I fired five rounds and she had seven holes. Now, he was talking about you, and it's Our understanding that he was actually bragging about his aim, shooting an unarmed American citizen. Is that right?

[Testimonial Speaker / Witness]

Correct.

[Paul Rykoff]

I'm so sorry, Ms. Martinez. DHS has allowed the agent who shot you to remove evidence and to potentially destroy it. Is that correct?

[Testimonial Speaker / Witness]

Correct.

[Paul Rykoff]

They're fucking animals. This is absolutely unacceptable. And yesterday we heard testimony after testimony, unacceptable, unlawful, unconstitutional, un American, and so far, unaccountable behavior. This is animal behavior. It's terrible and unacceptable. And all of us need to say, hell, no. And there was a lot of it. Let me. Let me continue to make your blood boil. This will get you ready for when Jesse comes in. But I want you to hear testimony from another person, a disabled person who is on her way to a traumatic brain injury center. This powerful testimony from Leah Rahman, who maybe gave some of the most riveting testimony of the day. Check this out.

[Testimonial Speaker / Witness]

My name is Aliyeh Rahman, and I am a resident of South Minneapolis. I'm a Bangladeshi American born in Northern Wisconsin, and I'm a disabled person with autism and a traumatic brain injury. Not all autistic brains do this, but mine fixates on sounds, numbers and patterns. And while what the world saw happen to me exactly three weeks ago today on video was a terrible violation, it is still nothing compared to the horrific practices I saw inside the Whipple Center. So I am here today with a duty to the people who have not had the privilege of coming home. And I offer this data because these practices must end now.

[Paul Rykoff]

So she had a brain injury. She was disabled. She was on her way to get treatment, and she was telling them that, and they still treated her like this. And it was not the end. There was much more, including the brothers, the braid brothers of Renee Goode. Brent Ganger shared some thoughts and shared part of his eulogy and bravely spoke out in honor of the legacy of his sister, Renee Goode. Check this out.

[Testimonial Speaker / Witness]

And I'd like to share some thoughts from the eulogy that I gave on my sister's behalf this past Saturday. When I think of Renee, I think of dandelions in sunlight. Dandelions don't ask permission to grow. They push through cracks in the sidewalk, through hard soil, through places where you don't expect beauty. And suddenly, there they are. Bright, alive, unapologetically hopeful. That was Renee in sunlight. Warm, steady, life giving. Because when she walked in a room, things felt lighter, even on cloudy days.

[Paul Rykoff]

Now, here's what you need to know most of all as we continue to focus on this, because it is the top topic, it is rampaging across our democracy. If they can do it to these people. If they can do it to Alex Preddy, if they can do it to Liam Little, five year old Liam, they can do it to you. And the bad news around ICE just continues to flood out. Now we have news that they have halted all movement at a Texas detention facility, a DHS facility because they have a measles infection. What do you know? Don't inoculate people for measles. And now we have measles infections. I don't think they assumed that it would start at a DHS facility, but here we are. A disease that we had eradicated has now appeared at one of their for profit jails that look like a concentration camp. And I want to underscore that we are watching more and more people are watching and the world is watching and the world is, is outraged. Check this out.

[Testimonial Speaker / Witness]

I don't want them here.

[Paul Rykoff]

These are not good people and we.

[Jesse Ventura]

Need to learn to stop kowtowing to the Trump administration.

[Testimonial Speaker / Witness]

ICE in particular today has become the symbol of a type of police that.

[Paul Rykoff]

We do not want and we do not want here. Hundreds of protesters were up, were opposing and speaking out against ICE in Milan, Italy, because if they couldn't make possibly think about how to make things worse, if sending in Tom Holman wasn't bad enough, if sending in the JD Vance isn't bad enough, they want to send ICE agents and they have sent ICE agents to the Olympics in Italy because they want to totally disgrace even more Americans by sending these thugs into another country. Well, the Italians are saying, hell no. They're blowing whistles. They stood in the grand arch in the piazza and they expressed their horror in the fact that ICE is coming to their city. And they are speaking out and saying, hell no. Don't believe the government, believe your eyes and believe the resistance that's happening now worldwide. We must defund and disband ICE because if you're not angry, you're not paying attention. And every day, more and more by the day, ICE is ripping our country and the world now apart. Put them on trial and shut them down. More coming up with Jesse Ventura. You do not want to miss Jesse Ventura on the latest information about ice, including breaking news that says that they are removing as many as 700 ICE agents from Minneapolis. Don't go spiking the ball just yet. This may be good news or it may be more toggling. Stay tuned for that and stay vigilant. All right. Trump continues to be all gas and no brakes and nothing is slowing him down. He continues to wage A relatively effective war against the free press as well. And there's important media news that you need to know about. There's news that will have Trump celebrating and it involves one of his top targets. The Washington Post announced today sweeping layoffs, layoffs across multiple divisions. Potentially hundreds of folks are being laid off. This could impact people who cover foreign affairs and national security. The sports department is getting annihilated. But this is a big, big piece of news and I think it's good news for Trump. Another key leader of the Fourth estate has been weakened and it's bad news for America. And I want to note that our enemies especially are celebrating any decreased coverage, especially around national security and foreign affairs. And we need that kind of coverage now more than ever. We need it holding Trump accountable and we need it informing people about what's happening from Venezuela to Israel to the across the Middle east to everywhere else to including National Guard deployments in the US which continue to take place. And this morning, below the radar, the suspected gunman accused of ambushing two National Guard troops is set to be Iran. And also an update on one of those National Guard troops that survived, Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolf is about to undergo skull surgery. So don't Forget that those two folks were shot brutally by Ramonala Lakawal, a 29 year old Afghan who's facing nine charges. This is happening below the radar, but underscores that our National Guard Guardsmen continue to be deployed in D.C. and around the country, often not by their governors, but activated federally by the president as he continues to march toward what could be an invocation of the Insurrection act, as we've covered many times before. All right, there's some Iran news, also national security stuff that we need the Washington Post and we need the Stars and Stripes to cover. Stars and Stripes had the headline that a US Navy fighter shot down an Iranian drone that was unnecessarily maneuvering toward the USS Abraham Lincoln. Because in the midst of everything else, you may not remember that the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln is in the Middle East. Hours later, the guided missile destroyer McFaul escorted a US merchant vessel harassed by Iranian forces. But the US is shooting down Iranian drones and tensions continue to be high. And we're going to need the Washington Post and Stars and Stripes and others to cover it. And we're also going to need them to cover Ukraine, where Today is day 1442 of Russia's full scale invasion. And it just never ends. Every night they continue to be hit, they continue to be frozen by Putin's brutality and we have to continue to stay focused on Ukraine. And we need reporters who, who do that. There was one Washington Post reporter who put out that she was actually fired from Ukraine. She was in Ukraine covering this when she was fired. We're gonna need her and other voices more than ever. We're also gonna need them in politics because the House yesterday passed a bill to end the shutdown, which is some good news. The fight over ice continues, but we may have another shutdown in 10 days. In Texas, Democrats are fighting amongst themselves. We talked about that yesterday and there will be more in the days to come. But if you didn't see my episode yesterday with Keval and Shroff, go back and check it out. We talk about how the Democrats are not going to save you and are eating their own in Texas and beyond. All right. Also, let's talk about independent candidates. We talked yesterday about how the Democrats are continuing to drive away more and more Americans. Of course, we've talked about the Republicans, but then there are the independents. And we are the people's champion. We are not moving the needle. We are the needle. And there's no better example than Jesse Ventura coming up. And yesterday I had a great zoom conversation with John Updike of open primaries. Many of you joined us. And Todd Achilles who's running for Senate in Idaho, and Ty Pickens, who's running in Mississippi. More and more independent veterans are stepping up. And after my conversation today with Jesse, there's going to be even more. Remember, he won over two decades ago. He won in 1996. Right. That was a time when folks said independents couldn't win either. And he won and many more can win. And we have the man coming up to talk to you about how he did it and what he wants to do next. He is not checking out of politics and he has a lot of breaking news on this show that you're going to want to hear about. All right. In culture, let's talk about something nice. Penny the Doberman Pinscher won the Westminster Dog Show. Yes, the four year old beauty was crowned best in show last night in New York. She had a perfect stance and an arched neck. There were over 2,500 dogs and 212 breeds. And I think a Doberman is the appropriate type of dog to think about because Jesse Ventura is about to go Doberman on Trump and ice and much more. All right. Finally, sports, if you haven't heard, James Harden has a new team again. Yes, James Harden is going to another team. The Clippers have traded him to the Cavs for Darius Garland. Darius Garland is a great young player. He's about 26 years old and Harden's going to a fifth team after being in Oklahoma City, Houston, Brooklyn, Philly, and he was in la and now he's going to another team. That's what the NBA is like nowadays, folks. He wants a title. He's going to the Cavs. That's bad news for my Knicks, but I still feel confident about our chances. The NFL Pro bowl was last night and I picked it, right? The NFC won. It was a flag football game and it was kind of fun. Antoine Winfield and George Pickens led the nfc. And a great offensive lineman named Garrett Bowles, playing his first Pro bowl, caught a pass from Shador Sanders and the big guys got a touchdown. We're going to talk with Jesse about football. He's going to tell you which hall of Fame athlete he played against in high school, all right? And finally, LeBron James is expecting to stay with the Lakers at least through the end of the season. We'll see where he goes after that. I don't think he's going to be done. And one thing is for sure, the man you're about to hear from is far from done. It is hump day, and if there was ever a person we needed to get us over the hump, it's the great and powerful Jesse Ventura. If you don't know him, if you're young, if maybe you're older and you haven't heard from him in a while, get ready because he is the original independent veteran. He is one of the most important independent Americans and he is bringing the thunder to help us get through this Wednesday.

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[Paul Rykoff]

So let's go, people. It's time for us all to stay vigilant. All right, folks, helping us stay vigilant in this time where vigilance is so badly needed. A man who I've wanted on this show since I first created it. He's the OG of Independent Veterans of America, the original, the Navy SEAL veteran, powerful, candid, patriotic voice. He was a former governor of Minnesota serving a term from 99 to 2003. The original independent American, the great and powerful Governor Jesse the Body mentor is finally on Independent Americans. Welcome, sir.

[Jesse Ventura]

Paul, Great to be here. It's my pleasure. Yeah, I was the 38th governor of Minnesota, but a lot of people don't realize that prior to that, in 1990, I became the mayor of the sixth largest city in Minnesota, which was Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. So my foray into government wasn't that I wasn't prepared. I had already been a mayor in the sixth largest city for four years. In fact, I had as much experience as my opponent Norm Coleman did, except he happened to be mayor of St. Paul, a little bit bigger, but not, you know, still the same problems as a first ring suburb. So I did, I was a mayor first and then I won, of course, and became governor. And the, the most unique thing I'll say about that, Paul, is this the money when I ran in Minnesota and now this is back in 98. You know how much money I raised to become the governor? 300,000. You know how much the Democrats and Republicans combined spent to beat me? 12 million.

[Paul Rykoff]

Wow.

[Jesse Ventura]

And I won. So you can see I was a very irritating person to them. You know, they spent all this money to win the governorship and then they lose it to a guy who spent nothing.

[Paul Rykoff]

Well, it also shows that independence can win. And I want to talk more about that coming up because there's this slander against independents that we're all going to be spoilers and they forget recent history, they forget your history and even history before that. But I want to get into That I want to get into ice, I want to get into Trump, but also, I just want to set the table for folks you and I met over 20 years ago. Man, I want folks to know that.

[Jesse Ventura]

It'S hard to believe it's that long.

[Paul Rykoff]

Yeah. I mean, I don't know if you remember when we met at a truck stop, you know, in Minnesota, that was set up through our mutual friend Bill Hillsman, because we were starting this Vets Group in 2004, and we wanted somebody who was a veteran, who had some power and a voice, but also who was independent. And, you know, that led us to you. And when we first met, man, I remember you came in the back door. I think you had a gun in your waistband and your motorcycle. And I said to you, hey, man, you know, this is what we want to do. And you said, if it's going to help veterans, I'm in. Right there on the spot. You put your hand on the table and you said, I'm in. And a lot of folks didn't want to support veterans back then. It was 2004. People thought the war was going well. They thought Bush might just be riding high. But you were the first guy of any notoriety to step up and support us. And I want folks to know that, and I want you to know how much I always appreciate that.

[Jesse Ventura]

Well, it's because of my experience. You know, we go back a few generations, and I'm a Vietnam veteran. And the thing I like to tell people is we weren't welcomed home. You know, there weren't any parades for us. There weren't people out there patting us on the back saying, thank you for your service. In fact, we got the opposite. We were turned into the villains. We were the ones that went over and fought this war in Vietnam. And today, when I look at it in hindsight, we were the villains. You know, my view is today, we were on the wrong side personally, but. And I'm not alone in that viewpoint, but it is what it is. It still didn't make us villains. We were the military. You're asked to do what you're supposed to do by your people in charge, and you do not have. Unless it's a morally illegal order, you do not have the right to not obey them. And, you know, and that's what led me to my outburst. We'll tie that in. A couple weeks ago, when the Gestapo hit my high school, you know, with this ICE operation, it hit Minneapolis Roosevelt High School. That's where I graduated 1969. And I was angry and So I called out the draft dodging coward, and we know who he is.

[Paul Rykoff]

I want to. I want to go deeper on that for sure, and let you run with the ball. Let me ask you a question. I ask all our guests because every. I think a lot of folks are really excited to hear from you, especially after that, that, that, that speech you gave outside of your high school. I think this is a moment where people need to hear from Jesse Ventura. A new generation needs to hear your voice, probably for the first time. But a very basic question. Where are you and how are you? You haven't been out in front in a while, and I know you've been, you know, keeping yourself out of the news, but how are you now in this last couple of weeks where it's all kind of bust open again and you're really fighting for the community you grew up in?

[Jesse Ventura]

Well, I'm angry because after the last election, I stopped watching the news. I didn't watch the news from November until they attacked my high school. And now I've had to start watching it again because they're right in my backyard now. Why did I stop watching the news? I'll tell you why. The last election, Whether you liked Ms. Harris or not, this last election was a choice, a very simple one, in my opinion. You had the choice between the Constitution and the criminal, and this country chose the criminal. And now they're all appalled at what's happening. What would you expect a criminal to do when he gets in there? He's going to hire other criminals to work with him. They all will be an ilk together, a big group. You put a criminal at the top of America, a convicted felon. And you know who's to blame for all this? Mitch McConnell. Why? Because I don't know about you, Paul, but I'm still not over January 6th, that was treason. All of the people should have been arrested and put in prison all the way to Trump, because he and Giuliani and all them orchestrated the whole thing. And he tried to violate the Constitution, win the election the way he did, with violence and everything else. And now, and I've heard this, you know, all the people he pardoned for January 6th, I hear they're the most ones that are part of the ice, that they're the ICE people. Now, they did do the Capitol, and now they've turned them loose on all our cities. Because isn't the behavior pretty much the same what you saw happen January 6th at the Capitol and to what you're seeing on the streets of Minneapolis and By the way, let me throw in there, I did shed some tears the other day, tears of joy. I got to see Springsteen perform the Streets of Minneapolis, the very first performance in the history. He released it Wednesday, and on Friday, he sang it in front of us at First Avenue in Minneapolis, Prince's Palace. The Boss came there along with Morella, one of the greatest guitar players on the planet. And you know what else I found out? They marched with the marchers when it was over.

[Paul Rykoff]

Yeah, you were going to join me on Friday, but you had a good reason to miss it because you were with Springsteen. You were at Morello, and it was also a fundraiser for the family of Renee Goode and for Alex Preddy. And I'm glad you talk about January 6th, because it's part of what they're trying to whitewash. And now it's kind of come full circle where the insurrectionists and the folks who violated the Constitution and broke the laws are now trying to flip the table and call people like Renee Goode an insurrectionist to call Alex Preddy a domestic terrorist. You are a master of language, and you've been. Nobody cuts the promo like Jesse does. Right. And you've been able to communicate so effectively to the world. And this is a moment where the world is looking for alternative voices to Donald Trump. Can you talk about how they are flipping the table here? You know, this. I don't know what the wrestling move would be, but this is. You know, this is a total turnaround where now the criminals are trying to criminalize journalism and criminalize protest and criminalize recording people. Can you talk about. And take on that broadcast that's now coming from the White House where the insurrectionists are calling patriots insurrectionists?

[Jesse Ventura]

Yeah. You know, give me a. You know, this guy, this czar, as they call him, they give him this title of czar. Well, first of all, I said to myself and the public, I said, what in the hell is a czar in America? That's some sort of Russian term, isn't it? Yeah, but he's our czar. What makes him a border czar? What? He has some knowledge no one else has, makes him above all of us. He's going to come in and fix it all with a magic wand, you know, and the thing that works me up and gets me going is that they sit. He basically blamed us for the deaths today. And he said if we would follow them. Well, excuse me, if I'd have been in that room, I would have said to him, you're telling us that we're not following immigration laws when you're not following the Constitution. So you're telling me, in your opinion, immigration laws are higher than the Constitution. We're supposed to follow immigration laws and violate the Constitution to follow those laws. And that's what they're in essence telling us, that we in Minneapolis are out of line while they sit and violate the First Amendment, they violate the Second Amendment, they violate the Fourth Amendment, and, and they violate the Tenth Amendment. And yet we're supposed to be hanging our heads that we're some sort of lawbreakers. Since when does immigration law trump the Constitution and the Bill of Rights? And I'd like to, you know, I wanted to say to Hoban today, will you leave if I offer you a $50,000 bribe? Let me story, don't you, Paul?

[Paul Rykoff]

Yeah, I do. I do.

[Jesse Ventura]

I mean, this guy got caught in a sting operation accepting a $50,000 bribe and then was pardoned. That's the story I've heard now. Am I wrong?

[Paul Rykoff]

Yeah, I mean, the corruption with these guys is so widespread, it's almost hard to keep track.

[Jesse Ventura]

And why would you expect anything different? You put a criminal in the White House, he's going to surround himself with more criminals. So in a way, I'm telling America, you know what? You're getting what you deserve. You chose this guy over the Constitution. And you know, who else is to blame a little bit? This is going to be controversial. Women.

[Paul Rykoff]

Explain why, Jesse. Why do you think that?

[Jesse Ventura]

Why? Because the last election, like it or not, they have the opportunity to elect the first woman president and they dropped the ball. The nominee was a woman and they didn't elect her. They listened to their husbands, they listened to the men. We've screwed it up for hundreds of years. Wouldn't it be about time for a woman? That's how I viewed it. And yet the women of America had the opportunity to elect the first woman president and they failed.

[Paul Rykoff]

Yeah, I think a lot of people failed to understand the truth here on this one, Jesse. Women.

[Jesse Ventura]

And I know you shouldn't vote for that reason, Paul. You shouldn't just say, well, I'm voting for the woman because I want a woman, but the better her than him.

[Paul Rykoff]

Yeah, I think, I think that that's the truth in that for sure. Let me ask you this, Jesse. I'm looking, you know, you're. I think you're at your place in Minnesota. I see an old action figure over your shoulder. I think of yourself. I think I see a Californication poster behind you, which I give you credit on that because it was a great fricking show. But let me ask you, because you've been around for a long time. You've been in these different worlds. Have you ever met Trump? Have you ever met him in person? Did you guys ever tangle in any way over the years, decades before Donald.

[Jesse Ventura]

Trump flew to Minnesota in his plane when I won in 98. And we were interested in him because at that time, we. We were the Independence Party who aligned with the Reform Party. We were looking for candidates. You know, we were. And here's Trump. Multimillionaire, possible presidential. He had the opportunity to establish a third party right there. And that's why. Oh, no. He flew all the way to Minnesota to meet with me. There's pictures of me and him shaking hands, being friendly. I get them in the mail. You know what I do with them? Throw them. Right. I don't sign them. I put them right in the shredder today. So everybody out there, don't send me a picture of me and Trump to autograph, because it's going to go in the shredder, guaranteed. That's where it's going. But no. And then what he did, he copied my election, took my playbook totally. Except the difference was I took on the Democrats and Republicans at the same time. What he did, and he was successful. So I can't argue with him. It worked. He first conquered the Republicans, and the moment he conquered the Republicans, then he went after the Democrats and thus became the president. So he did them not all at once, like I did it in one election. He did it to cover a couple of years, to build up. He set the table for himself by stealing the Republican Party. I mean, can you imagine? This is the party of Abraham Lincoln. Does anyone here really believe that if Honest Abe could be alive today, that he would be part of the Republican Party today? Does anyone believe that at all? If you do, you're in fantasy land.

[Paul Rykoff]

Jesse, let me ask you to go. Wait, what did you. You've stood across from some formidable foes, some of the most intimidating humans on the planet. You know, intimidate them. Well, yeah. Yes. And when you met him, you know, if you could go back in your. In your mind's eye, what did you think of him when you stood across from him?

[Jesse Ventura]

Who, Trump?

[Paul Rykoff]

Yeah.

[Jesse Ventura]

Well, he's friendly. He, you know, he's a fun guy to be with. The best story is this. I had dinner with him in New York City, and I don't remember who his current squeeze was. You know, this is a couple decades ago. I don't know. It wasn't Melania. So it was a squeeze before that. I can't tell you which one. I first met him at a boxing thing and then. But the fun one was out in New York. I had dinner with him. It was Trump. Whoever his squeeze was right at the time, me. And who do you think the fourth was at the table?

[Paul Rykoff]

I am not. I have no idea.

[Jesse Ventura]

A classic Woody Harrelson. Woody talked about it, and he said he kept excusing himself from the table to go around the corner and smoke a joint. He couldn't take it otherwise. And I remember Woody did get up about three or four times and disappeared through the course of the evening. And he admitted later that he. He went around back and smoked a joint and came back. I just wish he'd offered it to me. I could have got through it easier.

[Paul Rykoff]

Did Trump smoke the joint? Did Trump smoke?

[Jesse Ventura]

No, no, no, no, no. Donald. Donald. Me and his squeeze were left at the table. Woody just disappeared. And I didn't know why at the time, but Woody talked about it years later, and he said he was speaking. He couldn't take it. He said he had to get stoned.

[Paul Rykoff]

Did you think he. I mean, could you have ever imagined that he would become President of the United States?

[Jesse Ventura]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because here, this country is always susceptible to a good con job. Oh, yeah, we, we. We go hook, line and sinker for a good. You know, for somebody like him who's a complete con man. I mean, look at. Look at every business he's ran. Do you want to know what I'm ticked off about, Paul?

[Paul Rykoff]

Yes, definitely.

[Jesse Ventura]

He's in the Wrestling hall of Fame. Now. You're smiling, but I'm angry over that.

[Paul Rykoff]

I'm angry, angry.

[Jesse Ventura]

And here's why. I have friends that are not in the hall of Fame. One in particular, Olympian Ken Patera, at one time considered possibly the strongest man in the world, competed in the Olympics, had a tremendous pro wrestling career afterward. Well, guess what? He's not in the hall of Fame and Trump is. And do you know how you get in the hall of Fame? You do? Like what I had to do. Do you know what I did one time? True story. I wrestled 63 consecutive nights in a row without a day off. And there's people that would destroy that. There's guys that did more than that, but that's how you get in the hall of Fame. Think about that. I wrestled 63 consecutive nights in a row, and that include this is in the territory days that was driving to and from the Town. My first new car, a Mercury Cougar 75 in two years including carpooling. I had 128,000 miles on it, but it worked good. You know why, Paul? Back then they only had five digit odometers. And when I traded it in after two years, I didn't lie. The guy said, is the mileage accurate? I said, yeah. I just didn't tell him it had flipped over and he wouldn't have believed it because when I traded it in it was a 2 year old car with 20 showing. 28. I just didn't say there was a one in front of it.

[Testimonial Speaker / Witness]

Man.

[Jesse Ventura]

Who would believe you could put 128,000 miles in two years including carpooling? I believe, I didn't drive all the time.

[Paul Rykoff]

I believe it. And this is, you know, America's missed hearing more of this from you, Jesse. I mean, this is a really good, important time for you to be back on the mic again and telling stories and sharing wisdom and calling people out. You know, of course Trump got into the hall of Fame in a shady way like he does everything else. But let me ask you to go to what it's hard to pick one top topic today.

[Jesse Ventura]

Well, you know why he got in, please. He provided us two buildings, I think WrestleMania 5 and 6 or something where he probably made millions, you know, off renting us his buildings to hold WrestleMania. And for that, Vince McMahon puts him in the hall of Fame. It's a disgrace. I've almost resigned, gone publicly and say I'm resigning from the hall of Fame because of Trump is in it and he doesn't qual like everything he does. He's not qualified. Just like when he wants the Nobel Peace Prize. Paul, you know what I wanted to do and I can let you know right now, I wanted to call a meeting with Trump and I was going to give him my honorable discharge. That way he'll have one. Only thing is his name won't be on it, but he can still hold it up. He can have a discharge from the United States Navy. I offered, I was going to do that. Mr. Trump, I'll offer you a discharge from the United States Navy so you can pretend you served.

[Paul Rykoff]

I think he said at one point he wanted to, he wished he had a Purple Heart. Maybe not fully understanding what's required in order in order to get that. You know, it's hard to pick one top topic on a day like today. You've hit so many things. But let me ask you to respond to one thing in particular. There's news Today that ICE is saying, and the czar is saying, that they're pulling 700 agents out of Minnesota. I have urged people to beware before they celebrate or spike the ball, because he seems to be toggling. He moves them away from Minnesota, moves them into Phoenix, moves them into Utah, moves them into Texas. But what's your reaction to the announcement that 700 ICE agents may be leaving Minnesota?

[Jesse Ventura]

We in Minnesota do not believe a word out of that guy's mouth or Trump's. We don't believe it. He blamed all the violence on the protesters. He said it's our fault and that we should be cooperating with them completely. So we as citizens are supposed to violate our own Constitution to support their Gestapo tactics. And by the way, I'm going to use the term Gestapo. You know why? I think I've earned it, Paul. I didn't fight the Germans, but I am half German. But my parents did. My mother and father are buried at Fort Snelling in Minneapolis right now. And how many people can say their mom is a World War II veteran? I can. And to this level. My mom served in North Africa against Rommel, the Desert Fox. She was with a mass unit. She was injured and sent back to the States. They wouldn't allow her to return to her unit. She tried to go back, but they wouldn't. They said, no, you got to stay here now. But my mom. That's why in her late years, every night my mom would watch the News, and on 10:30 at night in Minneapolis, what would come on? Reruns of mash. My mom never missed those because I think they were very close. MASH was the Korean Conflict, but that's only five years from World War II. And so my mother. This is why I think I can say Gestapo, because my mom was full German. She fought against her own country, where she came from, with the United States of America. She was a lieutenant in North Africa, a nurse. Now I'll end with her. And let's go to my dad. My dad had six bronze battle stars in World War II. He was with the 899th Tank Destroyer Division under General Patton. He fought North Africa, Normandy, Battle of the Bulge, Ramagen Bridge, Anzio and Berlin, and lived and lived. And I can assure you today, Paul, that if my parents were alive and they saw what ICE is doing in their hometown of Minneapolis today, I am sure that my parents would call that the Gestapo. That's why. And you see, I'm getting serious. That's why I have every right, in my opinion, to call Trump's ice, the Gestapo. Let me ask this. Do you know, has anyone in the Trump family ever served?

[Paul Rykoff]

I'm glad you asked.

[Jesse Ventura]

Anyone?

[Paul Rykoff]

I'm glad you asked. Not to my knowledge. And I would also underscore that Barron is of age right now. His son could serve if he wants to bring troops into Venezuela or Cuba or any other number of places. His son is of age. And there is a rise of, I think a new generation of chicken hawks that haven't had families of service and honor like your family. But the chicken hawks are back, Jesse?

[Jesse Ventura]

Oh, yeah. You know what I've always said? You know how you got to vote to go to war, supposedly? I've always said we should pass a law that when Congress votes to go to war, someone in their immediate family has to begin immediate military service. When if they vote yes to go to war, than someone in their family. Because I'm sick and tired of the Vietnam stuff where not one elected official had a kid over there. Or you got Donald Trump and his old man Fred. You know, the other day they came out with his medical report. You hear that? Where they said he's healthier than Obama. Really? I would have said, well, what happened to the bone spurs? I mean, you had bone spurs that kept you from military service. They don't just disappear magically. You have to have them removed. I'd like to know, when did you have them removed? Because you've never missed a golf game and yet you couldn't go to boot camp.

[Paul Rykoff]

Jesse, can I ask you, this is a really important issue that we've talked about on this show. The power of veterans in particular to push back on things that are authoritarian, that are manipulations of our military, to be able to call their tactics authoritarian, to be able to push back on ice, which is acting like a gestapo. But let me ask you about what I think continues to loom overhead, which is Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act. He's threatened to send the 11th Airborne Corps from Alaska into Minneapolis. He may not do it now, but he's always threatened to use it. It was recently endorsed as a possibility by the Freedom Caucus. Do you think he's going to invoke the Insurrection Act? And can you explain to people why you think that would be especially dangerous?

[Jesse Ventura]

Well, it's a. First of all, let's take that part. It's especially dangerous because the Constitution of the United States says the US Military is not to be used against its own people. Plain, simple, cut and dried. Now he's going to send us into Minnesota. None of this occurred until they came. There was nobody on the streets causing trouble here. There was nobody running around, putting families in terror, putting neighborhoods in terror, putting local businesses out of business and all that. None of that occurred until ICE arrived here with, with 3500. Call them what you will, storm troopers, the Gestapo, whatever term you want to use and right now. And they tell us they're making us safer. Paul, here's a statistic for you. In Minneapolis in January, In January of 2026, there were three murders in the city of Minneapolis. Two of them were done by ICE. So ICE is the leading murderer in the month of January 2026 in the United States and Minneapolis, Minnesota, ICE is the leading murderer. And the best part is apparently there's going to be no trial. Apparently there's not even going to be really an investigation about it because after all, we the people caused it to happen. If you listen to Homan, it's our fault that there was violence here because we didn't go along with their immigration laws. Minnesotans felt the constitution was higher than immigration laws and we're paying the price for it now because apparently it's not. Apparently immigration laws are.

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[Jesse Ventura]

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[Paul Rykoff]

Jesse, let me ask you to go to a section I call below the radar. Every crisis is an opportunity and one of the opportunities now is that voices have rise rising up in Minneapolis and across the country. You talked about the energy around Springsteen and Morello and so many other young people especially who are pushing back. You got involved in this whole conflict because they came at your high school and these young people pushed back. There's a rise of also independence we saw last month. There's new statistics. 45% of the country is independent. Republicans are only 27%. Democrats are 20%. They say we're spoilers, but I've said that slanderous. We got Mayor Yemi Mobilotti in Colorado Springs, Mayor Tim Kelly in Chattanooga and you. Right. Yeah, there's you. You are an example of how independents can win. How did you win?

[Jesse Ventura]

Let's not forget Senator Angus King for Maine.

[Paul Rykoff]

Yes, Senator Angus King has been a guest on this show. I hope he can come back soon, too. But let me ask you this. How did you win and what do you think about the potential in this movement for Independence and especially independent vets to do what you did.

[Jesse Ventura]

I think the, of course, the difficulties. Name recognition. I was fortunate. I didn't have to go buy name recognition. I didn't have to tell. Pretty much all of Minnesota knew who Jesse the body was.

[Paul Rykoff]

Yeah.

[Jesse Ventura]

So that was a huge advantage having that name recognition. So here's the deal. What we need to be doing to get independent candidates is to get people with that name recognition. That way you don't have to go buy it. So if we can recruit the right, call them stars, call them whatever, well known people, people that you don't have to sit and spend a million dollars to let the public know who they are. That's the first obstacle to get over. The second is that you don't have to have a lot of money to win, but you do need to raise enough money to do this. When it comes time to a big election, like statewide, you're talking governor, senator, congressman, anything of that level, you've got to at least raise enough money to do some TV ads because the public don't look at you as being legit unless they see you doing ads on television. When it gets to election time. Do you know we only had 300,000 bucks and we spent it all on TV ads? And do you know what ad we got? And I says, here's the ad I want Sunday afternoon before the Tuesday vote. I said, I want our ad, the last one before the Viking kickoff of the Vikings. Everyone in Minnesota will be watching that opening kickoff Sunday. If we run our ad and we got it. We were the last ad that went on TV before the Vikings kicked off on Sunday with their game, whoever they were playing. I don't even remember anymore.

[Paul Rykoff]

Jesse. Was that the ad with Jesse the mind where you were basically naked?

[Jesse Ventura]

No, I think it was special interest guy with the little kids. Don't quote me, don't quote me. Bill Hillsman did those. I left those up to Bill. And Bill did an outstanding job. I don't recall. It could have been the thinker or it could have been the special interest man. I don't remember.

[Paul Rykoff]

Yeah, and shout out to Bill Hillsman, who made the initial introduction between us and did the first ad we ever did, the opening ad for Operation Truth with both Robert Acosta. That sent shockwaves, you know, all around. Let me ask you, Jesse, are there any names that you, you know, what about Woody Harrelson? Do you think he would run? Are there any other folks out there that have expressed interest or that you would want to run?

[Jesse Ventura]

I don't know, Paul, because like I said, I went into hibernation for a year. Yeah, I thought I was done. Excuse my French, but I thought I was done with this shit, you know, I'm 74 now, you know, and when they went, when, when the, when the Gestapo hit my high school, that was too much for me to take. I said, my God, I can't let them do this. I can't let them get away with this. And so I'm. I guess I'm back in it full time. I don't know yet. I've threatened to run for governor again.

[Paul Rykoff]

I gotta ask you because I think now we will see that you're throwing out. The flare is up. People are gonna be. I hope they answer the call. I've been issuing a call.

[Jesse Ventura]

June. June's when you file. So I can disrupt all I want all the way till June, and then June's when you gotta pay the money and put your name on the line. But there's also some interesting options, and that is this. Klobuchar wants to run the senator?

[Paul Rykoff]

Yep.

[Jesse Ventura]

Well, hypothetically, Democrat, hypothetically, if she came back here, run and won, well, then she gets to name her replacement in. In Washington to fill out the remainder two years of her Senate term. Paul, you've been in the military, so I will give this to you from a military aspect, which is what I did to her. I said, in war, you always make sure before you do anything that your backyard is secure. That is the most first and utmost thing you have to do if you go to war is ensure the integrity of your backyard. I can honestly say I think Minnesota's backyard now is secure. We're united. He picked the wrong state to mess with, and he's going to find that out. Now, using the analogy, Paul, once you've secured the backyard, now it's time to go into the enemy's territory. Now it's time to wreak havoc a little bit with him, or whatever you heard, whatever you deem to call them. Time for something to happen in their backyard and put them on the defensive. Time to hit them. I know that well, because they. That's what SEALs do. Our job is to go get them in their backyard. At least in the era of Vietnam. I won't speak today, you know, but in our era of jungle warfare, SEALs jobs were to go way in and cause trouble. Hit, hit, certain individuals kidnap it, blah, blah, blah, you, you name it, Right. Well, Minnesota's now at the point where we need to go on the offense, I think. So I floated the Idea that maybe we should publicize that in order our battle with Trump, that what if she named me the interim senator, then for two years, Donald Trump would have to face me out in Washington. The coward would have to look at the frogman.

[Paul Rykoff]

Well, the flare. The flare is up. And the mission has.

[Jesse Ventura]

Paul.

[Paul Rykoff]

No, I'll tell you what. Look, we need disruption. And we've talked a lot about the need for an independent fulcrum in the Senate. We just need one. One independent veteran who can be a fulcrum on everything from the War Powers act to Venezuela to potential, you know, insurrection, Any number of these things. We need an independent vet. And if we get one independent vet in the Senate, that senator will be the most powerful senator in the Senate. Right? I mean.

[Jesse Ventura]

Well, tell me it's not sitting here waiting for us.

[Paul Rykoff]

I love it. Hey, hey. I mean, I think it's going to.

[Jesse Ventura]

Be not a good plan.

[Paul Rykoff]

I think it's a good plan. I think the draft Chessy campaign was limited to governor until now, but I would love to have Senator Klobuchar come on here to respond, because what we need is, and you've been great about focusing, we need disruption. The system is broken. The politics are broken. The Democratic Party is not going to save you, and the Republican Party is driving us in a ditch. So we need disruptors, and we need.

[Jesse Ventura]

People who won't back down from this bully. He's a bully, plain and simple. And you know what the end result is, Paul, of a bully? Deep down, bullies are all cowards. When you strip away their bullying, in the end, they're a coward. That's why they're a bully, to cover up for the fact that they don't have courage.

[Paul Rykoff]

All right, well, we're going to have to. This is going to go out into the ether, and we're going to see a lot of response. We're going to have to reserve draft Jesse and get this going. But I do think, look, it's. It's important for people to understand that this moment requires radical disruption. And it requires leadership and values and strength and truth and all of the things that you're talking about. I think the really exciting part, Jesse, is not just you, frankly, but a new generation that is gonna be inspired by your example.

[Jesse Ventura]

Cause they're coming, and it's time for us to not be passive anymore. Enough of this passive resistance. This guy doesn't understand that. In fact, he views that as weakness. The only strength he knows is to kick his butt, plain and simple. And right now, you know, to Me, he's a hollow house, you know, he's a coward. You know. You know the story about his draft, don't you? I mean, allegedly. I've heard that the family of the doctors said they submitted false X rays. Have you heard that one?

[Paul Rykoff]

I've heard it now.

[Jesse Ventura]

Well, that's what I've heard with some guy that did have bone spurs. Those were submitted as being Trump's feet. And so he got 4F he didn't have. And you notice he never missed a golf game. You'd think if he had these horrible painful spurs on his feet, that would. And I can assure you this, Paul, what branch were you in again?

[Paul Rykoff]

Army.

[Jesse Ventura]

Army.

[Paul Rykoff]

Army, Yep.

[Jesse Ventura]

I can assure you this, Paul, Navy boot camp ain't shit. No, and I'm not doing it to knock. When I went to Navy boot camp, I got out of shape. I was in better shape before I got there. You know what I used to do at night? Push ups. I'd go off in the corner. I was working out because I was volunteering for buds, you know, basic underwater demolition, SEAL and Navy Boot camp. All you do is march. There is nothing physically demanding at all with Navy. And there shouldn't be because other than the frogmen and the seals and certain elements like that, most Navy men are thinkers. They're running a radar thing, they're on a ship, they're sitting in a chair. You know, you don't have to run anywhere to shoot them. Big guns on a ship, you know, you just sit in a chair and shoot them.

[Paul Rykoff]

I guess, Jesse, you're part of what we have to pierce is the fake tough guys and show the real tough guys. And that's where the contrast between you and Trump is so powerful. Let me ask you this. You know, you mentioned that he's in the WWE hall of Fame. What do you think about him having a UFC octagon fight at the White House? I mean, there's this kind of like over projection of fake masculinity. He and Hegseth and Cash Patel and all these guys are going to have an octagon in front of the White House for a UFC fight. What do you think about that?

[Jesse Ventura]

I think it's publicity again for Trump to try to pretend he's a tough guy. You know, he'd never get in there ever. In fact, I would challenge you this, Paul. I'll bet Donald Trump has never been in a fight in his whole life. I mean, even as a kid, you know what he is, Paul, I'll describe him to you and you tell Me if I'm wrong, and we all know them, we all. In a group of friends, there's always one guy, and that would be Donald Trump. And I'll use it in two courses here. The first thing is this. He's the kind of guy in a group that will start the fight and then he'll hold your coat.

[Paul Rykoff]

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. He's that guy.

[Jesse Ventura]

He's going to smart off and he's going to start the fight.

[Paul Rykoff]

He's talking. He's talking in the back. Yeah, yeah.

[Jesse Ventura]

And then he's going to hold your coat when it comes time to do the actual fighting. Yep. Here's the other point I'll make, and I'm sure you'll back me up on this. I don't care. Navy, Marines, Air Force, Army. Your first night in boot camp. Think back to your first night in boot camp. You go to bed. I don't care. In the middle of the night, the authorities are going to show up because you're going to have one guy who wets the bed, screams for his mom, and is totally out of control. The authorities will come in in the middle of the night. You're nodding. The authorities will come in in the middle of the night. They'll remove him, and you'll never know what happened to him because you're on with boot camp. But he'll disappear. Probably discharged, out, couldn't Adapt. So they'll 4F him and get him out. But I will make this statement. Every boot camp has one of those the first night. Am I right?

[Paul Rykoff]

Yep.

[Jesse Ventura]

Yep. I'll make this statement. That guy would have been Donald Trump if he'd have gone to boot camp. He would have been the guy wetting the bed in the middle of the night. He'd have been crying for his mom, and the authorities would have taken him out, struggling in the middle of the night, and we'd have never seen little Don again. Yep.

[Paul Rykoff]

I think that's it. You got it.

[Jesse Ventura]

You got it.

[Paul Rykoff]

All right, look, I got. I. I gotta take us to. This is a important point for you. Every show, we end with something good.

[Testimonial Speaker / Witness]

Something good.

[Paul Rykoff]

And you gave us a lot today that was really good. But I'm gonna start, and then I'll throw it to you. And I want to call out, speaking of heroism, there, there. You know, the White House is still responsible for making important announcements. And one that they made that probably got almost no coverage is that yesterday there was a medal of honor approved for a fallen army Staff Sergeant Michael Alice, who is from Staten Island. He was Killed in Afghanistan in 2013 when he used his body to protect a Polish army officer during a suicide bombing. Total act of heroism. He jumped in front of his ally. Important reminder also of how important our allies are who have stand alongside of us. But they say he preserved the lives of not just that guy, but dozens of other military and civilian personnel. He had been awarded the Silver Star. It was upgraded to the Distinguished Service Cross. And we got word yesterday that he and his family will be awarded posthumously the Medal of Honor. And I just want to just ask everybody. I'll link to it in the show notes. Check the news and the amazing, inspiring story of Michael, Alice, and also his family, because he's not alive to see it. But this will honor his memory. It'll celebrate his courage. And I encourage everyone to look at Medal of Honor citations because we need examples of courage, especially now. So that's my for today. Something good over you, Jesse? What do you got? That's something good?

[Jesse Ventura]

Well, let's stick with the Medal of Honor. I had the chance to know and make the acquaintance of a man by the name of Mike Thornton. And Mike's a seal, and Mike won the Medal of Honor. But Mike's winning of the Medal of Honor could very well be the most unique of all. And I don't think it'll ever be achieved again. Want to know why, Paul?

[Paul Rykoff]

Yes, please, Jesse.

[Jesse Ventura]

Mike got the Medal of Honor for saving the life of a previous Medal of Honor winner, Tommy Norris. SEAL team had already won the Medal of Honor. He was back in Vietnam after winning. I think I'd have retired. But anyway, he was back. The story goes. I wasn't there, but the story goes, Tommy Norris got hit. They thought he was dead. We don't leave our guys. Mike charged, killed a few guys, scooped up Tommy Norris, dove him into the river, swum him out to sea. They were picked up by a patrol boat, and it turned out he was alive. He saved. So he got the Congressional Medal of Honor for saving the life of a previous Congressional Medal of Honor winner. I don't think that'll ever, ever occur again.

[Paul Rykoff]

That's incredible. That's incredible.

[Jesse Ventura]

It is. It's a story that you gotta pinch yourself and go, come on. How could this be true?

[Paul Rykoff]

Well, link to it in the show notes. I encourage folks to read the citation. Jesse, your whole story is one of those ones where you pinch and say, how the hell can this be true? But I'm so grateful that you're back with us. I hope you can come on again as often as you're available because the country and the world needs to hear from you.

[Jesse Ventura]

Well, let me just say this to all the veterans out there. Run for office. Run as an independent. I can do it. You can do it. Your fellow veterans are going to rally behind you. It ain't about money, people. You served our country before when you were asked to do it. There's no greater calling than what's going on right now. Our country is at stake right now, veterans, and it's time for us to save it again. Only this time it's sick because it's our own president that's doing it.

[Paul Rykoff]

Hear, hear. If you want to do that, we've got Independent Veterans of America is now established. We are looking to run at least 100 independent veterans this fall. Check the website. It's in the show notes. We got Jesse's support. You know, that's the goal here is imagine hundreds of people in the image of Jesse Ventura and George Washington and so many other citizen soldiers and soldier citizens who stepped forward to lead for this country. We need them now more than ever. And Jesse, we need you more than. Hey, you got to pick in the Super Bowl. I got to ask. You were a football player in high school. It's super bowl week. Are you picking the Seahawks or the Patriots? Who are you picking?

[Jesse Ventura]

Well, I'll tell you this. I was worried about him last year because of the two bad games he had at the end. Sam Darnold.

[Paul Rykoff]

Yeah.

[Jesse Ventura]

But I will say this. Sam proved me wrong with those two, you know, bad games. He obviously learned from them. You know, he did what you're supposed to do. Always learn from your mistakes. Learn when you lose. Da da da da. I'm going with the Seahawks. I think Sam Darnold's a unique story. A journeyman quarterback who came to Minnesota and all of a sudden got the success. And his only problem here was he wanted too much money. And Minnesota didn't want to go in that deep with him, you know, because they wanted other, other free agents and stuff like that. They did make him an offer. You know, it wasn't like they just let Sam go. They made him an offer, but Seattle wanted him bad. And so Seattle gave him a big offer. And of course, I don't blame Sam. You're going to go. You know, that's one thing about pro sports, people. Make sure your loyalties with who signs the check. Well, I hate to say that in the bubble, but truthfully, it is. But anyway, no, I'm going to go. I think Sam Darnold is such A unique story that to finish it off with him coming back now in his career and winning a Super bowl would be a wonderful thing.

[Paul Rykoff]

I share that sentiment. He proved me wrong. I bet against him against the Rams and he delivered. He had the game of his life. I had seen him struggle in New York, but he proved everybody wrong. He's been rising to the moment. He's turning it around. And maybe, you know, that's a good message for what we need in this country right now is to turn it around.

[Jesse Ventura]

And then of course, we look at the quarterback for the Patriots May. And everybody always says, well, he's only in his second year, he'll have a lot more. Well, you got to remember, Dan Marino only got there once, once. So nothing is guaranteed on the Super Bowl. You get there for your first or second year, you could play 14 years and never see it again.

[Paul Rykoff]

Jesse, what position did you play? I know you were on a great high school team and you played some greats.

[Jesse Ventura]

It was funny all the way to eighth grade, believe it or not. I played quarterback.

[Paul Rykoff]

I believe it.

[Jesse Ventura]

But then when I got to high school, I didn't have particularly a strong arm, you know, throwing. And so I ended up. I played defensive right end. And believe it or not, on my high school team at Roosevelt, we used a five, two defense, five nose tackle, two tackles and two stand up ends.

[Paul Rykoff]

Yeah.

[Jesse Ventura]

On our front five, I was the smallest.

[Paul Rykoff]

That's a big dudes. That's a big dude.

[Jesse Ventura]

That's the truth. And in high school I was 6, 3, 200 pounds. And this was back in the back in 1969. And I was the smallest guy on our D line at 6, 3, 200 pounds. We were pretty good. We were. They didn't have playoffs then we were the city champions and we defeated St. Paul Central for the Twin City title. And St. Paul Central is the home of. And I'll finish with this, whom I consider the greatest athlete in Minnesota history. You know who that is?

[Paul Rykoff]

Dave Winfield.

[Jesse Ventura]

Got it.

[Paul Rykoff]

There you go.

[Jesse Ventura]

No, and I say this about Dave Winfield because Dave is the only person I know that got drafted by the three major sports, football, basketball and baseball. Dave Winfield was drafted in all three of them. I know of no one else that has ever done that.

[Paul Rykoff]

I know that story because he was one of my favorite players growing up as a Yankee fan. He was my brother's favorite player.

[Jesse Ventura]

He's an incredible athlete and we whipped their butt.

[Paul Rykoff]

All right, well, Jesse Ventura, you played defensive end and you need to defend America's end now more than ever. Before. I'm so grateful for your time, for your leadership, for always being there for veterans, especially for being there to represent Minneapolis. You know, people need hope in this moment and you're bringing it and it's contagious. And you're issuing a call that's very serious that I hope will resonate for folks to step up, not just veterans, but all folks to step up and meet this moment. And I hope we hear a lot more from you in the days to come, my friend.

[Jesse Ventura]

Let me finish with this, Paul. I think, believe it or not, I'm going to be 75 this summer. I lived through the whole Vietnam, the protests, all of that. I think this is the most dangerous time in my 75 years on the planet for our country. I believe this is the most dangerous because of who's in the White House, that this is the most dangerous time in America and we're going to it's going to take everybody to survive this.

[Paul Rykoff]

I think that's right, man. I think that's right. I've told a lot of my veterans friends all the other fights we've had were warmups for this one. This is the big one. And, you know, dangerous times require dangerous men. And you're the best kind of dangerous man. And we need you. So thank you for joining us.

[Jesse Ventura]

I'm an old man.

[Paul Rykoff]

You're a wise man and we need that wisdom. All right. The great and powerful Jesse the body, the governor, the OG of independent veterans, the great and powerful Jesse Ventura. Thank you, my friend, for all you.

[Jesse Ventura]

Do and for your leadership.

[Paul Rykoff]

Yeah, there you have it. The great and powerful Jesse Ventura. He is not holding back. This is a bit of a reintroduction of Jesse Ventura. To many of you who've never heard him or haven't heard him in a while, he is bringing the thunder. He is answering the moment and he will be back. I hope Jesse can be a regular on this show, but this is the kind of information and independence and integrity we want to bring on this show. To those of you that are new, welcome. We're glad you're here. Just want to give you an update on other stuff happening. I will be on News Nation today for my weekly television appearance with Connell McShane. I'll be on CNN with Aaron Burnett continuing to challenge ICE and probably talk a bit about some of the news we're breaking today on this show. A Big Week will continue tomorrow. We've got Chuck Todd to go deeper on politics and and he'll give us his super bowl prediction. And Friday, a very Big show. Rachel Maddow will be here for football Friday. We will go deeper on the latest breaking news and she'll talk about her patriots. And I want to send something else out. If you are a veteran who wants to run for office, we have created an organization to help you. Independent Veterans of America is that organization. We want to run a hundred veterans in Jesse's legacy this fall, and maybe Jesse will be one of them. But 100 veterans are our bottom line number. We want to get many more, but we've already got dozens who've reached out. You've heard from many of them on this show. Answer the call. And if you can't run, if you're not an independent veteran, you can share, you can donate, you can spread the word. Go to independentveteransofamerica.org and help us send hundreds of Jesse Venturas not just to Washington, but to communities all the way down to the school board nationwide. All right. And if you're new to this show, welcome. We are now daily. We hit number 36 last month on the charts and we continue to push forward. Follow us everywhere, especially on YouTube. If you want to see something, go over to YouTube, hit subscribe and watch my conversation with Jesse because he looks as interesting as he sounds. That is always the case, but subscribe. You can go to IndependentAmericans US for more, go to Apple Podcasts and rate us. You can find us on Spotify. It is a big, big week ahead and a big time for us to meet this moment because America is more divided than ever. But here at Independent Americans, I'm working to change that and bring in a heat and a fire and a light that is different from all the other shows that can bust through the ice in this moment. And if you're among the now 45% of Americans who are independent, a number that's probably going to grow after they hear from Jesse today. This is your show. Our independent movement is hope for the future. Country over party, people over politics, light instead of the heat of so many other places. And our movement is growing. It's going to take a big step forward today with Jesse Ventura, even if my voice is still struggling. Jesse and our movement are growing and we're bringing hope, which is the oxygen of our democracy. If you like this episode, do me a solid. Do us a solid. Fuel the movement, share it far and wide and invite others to declare their independence. And stay vigilant, my friend, because eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. And no, you're not alone in your vigilance. We're all vigilant and we're all in this together. And Jesse, today gave you some motivation, I hope, and some hope and some energy that you can spread, make that energy contagious and spread it far and wide. I'm your host, Paul Rey. Thank you for tuning into Independent Americans. Happy hump day. Get out there and spread the light. Tell them about Jesse. Tell them about what we're doing. And of course, especially right now, stay vigilant. I'll see you tomorrow. Tells me the left and right are.

[Testimonial Speaker / Witness]

Dreams for those without a clue and.

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[Jesse Ventura]

Bring he says the red and blue.

[Paul Rykoff]

I get an independent is an attitude an island in the sea of rhetoric and I can ride a ago he.

[Testimonial Speaker / Witness]

Tells me the left and right Our.

[Paul Rykoff]

Dreams propose without a clue and when you wait it's time to grow Power by Righteous Media.

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