Former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura, who was elected under the Reform Party label in 1998 before joining the Independence Party of Minnesota, endorsed the Democratic Party presidential ticket in several recent media appearances. Ventura spoke favorably of both Democratic Party presidential nominee Kamala Harris and vice presidential nominee Tim Walz in two media appearances since the weekend.
Speaking to MSNBC’s Al Sharpton on Saturday, Ventura praised Walz for seeking out his perspective upon becoming governor of Minnesota in 2018, as well as for his willingness to recognize Ventura’s early work in ending cannabis prohibition in Minnesota.
“I’m a complete independent, and when he won his first election as governor, within 24 hours, he called me and set up a meeting with me to pick my brain,” Ventura told Sharpton. “No other governor has done that, Republican or Democrat, but Tim Walz did. And what that shows me is Tim Walz is the kind of guy who is out for success, and he will reach across the aisle because he came to me, the ultra-independent in Minnesota, to seek me out to give him any information that would help him govern.”
Ventura also defended Walz from recent attacks against his military record and accusations of stolen valor from Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance. Ventura stated that Walz was allowed to retire after twenty years of service and that, as a non-commissioned officer, there was no expectation for him to be deployed. He also criticized Vance for focusing on the wrong issues, arguing that Vance should be questioning why the National Guard is being utilized in overseas conflicts instead of focusing on domestic issues.
Ventura reaffirmed his support following the interview, saying via X on Sunday that his support for the Democratic Party ticket is also driven by his concerns surrounding Donald Trump and his “cult of Republicans.”
“Ask yourselves this question… How bad can Donald Trump and his cult of Republicans be if they can drive a true independent like me to endorse the Harris/Walz ticket? Take a moment to think about that,” Ventura wrote.
On Monday, Ventura spoke favorably again about the Democratic Party ticket, this time praising Vice President Kamala Harris. Speaking to News Nation’s Dan Abrams, Ventura expressed his desire to see a female president in his lifetime, adding that his reason is selfish. “I had the good fortune of seeing our first black American president, seen him get elected—President Obama—and re-elected. Now my selfish reason is this: I don’t want to die and not see a woman president,” Ventura said.
When asked if he was purely supporting Harris along identity lines, Ventura clarified that he was also backing her for policy reasons, citing healthcare access for women before pivoting to denigrating Republican former President Donald Trump and the Republican Party. Ventura also reiterated his defense of Walz when asked by Abrams about recent attacks against Walz’s military record.
Jesse Ventura a commie? What a laugh.
“A certain commenter” a nutbar? God’s honest truth (if a deity existed).
James George “Jesse Ventura” Janos has always been sociopathically dishonest, much like his endorsees here. They deserve each other.
“Independent” my ass. It’s a real pity that Chris Kyle didn’t punch the commie bastard son whore a lot harder.