Jesse Ventura called President Donald Trump a coward and hinted that he may run again for Minnesota governor following the fatal shooting of a woman in Minneapolis this week by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.
Newsweek contacted the White House for comment via email.
Why It Matters
The fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen, has sparked local and national debate over the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement tactics.
Ventura’s comments bring heightened scrutiny to both the federal response to the case and the broader implications for civil liberties and constitutional rights in the United States.
What To Know
Ventura, a Vietnam veteran who served as Minnesota governor from 1999 to 2003 before opting not to seek reelection, was visiting Roosevelt High School, his alma mater, on Thursday when he criticized Trump—who had a medical exemption for the Vietnam War due to bone spurs.
He told local outlet Fox 9: “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.”
“Me and all my friends are Vietnam veterans. We had to go,” he continued, adding, “The rich white boys never had to go, did they? And he didn’t have to go, did he? And yet he’s gonna tell me what courage is?”
Ventura, also widely known for his wrestling stint as Jesse “The Body” Ventura in WWE, went on to hint that he may run again for governor, after incumbent Governor Tim Walz confirmed he would not seek reelection amid a fraud scandal in the state.
“You know what? Maybe it’s time for Jesse. I only did one term. I’m owed a second,” Ventura said.
On Wednesday, ICE agents were conducting large-scale immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis, described by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as the largest such action the agency has undertaken.
During these raids, an ICE agent fatally shot Good. DHS has characterized the shooting as an act of self-defense, saying agents were pursuing a citizen who “attempted to run them over and rammed them with her vehicle.”
Local officials and the Minneapolis City Council have disputed that account, and questions remain over what led to the use of deadly force.
At Roosevelt High School on the same day, tensions escalated as a federal agent was filmed deploying a chemical irritant on a crowd after a confrontation involving staff and demonstrators protesting the ICE presence, local media reported.
DHS told Fox 9 that Border Patrol agents were pursuing a U.S. citizen who, according to the agency, “was actively trying to impede operations” when he drove into a school zone.
According to DHS officials, a crowd gathered at the school, and during the incident, a man identifying himself as a teacher assaulted an agent as the citizen was being removed from his vehicle.
DHS said: “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.”
Ventura paid a visit to the school to show his support. He said: “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.”
What People Are Saying
Former Minnesota Governor Jesse 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.”
He added: “Anytime you have the loss of life that needlessly happens, that’s a tragedy. And what occurred yesterday did not have to happen.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said at a news conference: “If you’re angry, I get it. I am, too. If you’re feeling that kind of despair, it’s understandable. Let’s show them who we can be. Let’s show up with peace to march, to protest, to hug one another, to love all the way with peace. Do not give them what they want.”
President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social: “The woman driving the car was very disorderly, obstructing and resisting, who then violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE Officer, who seems to have shot her in self defense. Based on the attached clip, it is hard to believe he is alive, but is now recovering in the hospital. The situation is being studied, in its entirety, but the reason these incidents are happening is because the Radical Left is threatening, assaulting, and targeting our Law Enforcement Officers and ICE Agents on a daily basis. They are just trying to do the job of MAKING AMERICA SAFE. We need to stand by and protect our Law Enforcement Officers from this Radical Left Movement of Violence and Hate!”
What Happens Next
The fatal shooting is undergoing internal review, as is standard with officer-involved fatalities. Public outcry continues, with student and community protests expected to persist in Minneapolis.
Ventura’s indication of a potential gubernatorial run adds political uncertainty to the electoral landscape in Minnesota ahead of the November election, especially with Walz not seeking reelection.
