Jesse Ventura Teases Presidential Run With Third Political Party
Jesse Ventura is lining himself up for a presidential run in 2024. Ventura has been removed from the pro wrestling and political spotlight for many years, but he joined Chris Jericho on his "Talk Is Jericho" podcast to talk about his current state when it comes to jumping into politics once more.
"I tell them, 'Look, if you want the key to whether I'm going to run for office, look at what my hair is doing cause I said, 'If I'm gonna run, you're going to see me get a haircut,'" Ventura told Jericho. There was talk about Ventura running for president during the 2020 election, but a health situation with his family played a factor in pursuing a candidacy.
"Now it's more serious than ever," Ventura continued. "I mean, I dabbled with the Green Party two years ago 'til I found out they were split and were completely dysfunctional. But I've been communicating and working very close now with Andrew Yang, and Andrew Yang is the real deal and Andrew Yang is forming what's going to be called the Forward Party. And we're calling it that because we want to look forward into the future — we don't want the past, we don't want nothing to do with the [Democrats] and [Republicans]. They're the past, this is going to be the Forward Party, and we're hoping to get ballot access and candidates on the slate and have a presidential candidate and a convention by the 2024 election. And I'll tell you why, Chris, right now, 60% of the country doesn't want [Joe] Biden or [Donald] Trump."
Ventura ran as a member of the Reform Party during his time as Minnesota governor back in 1998 and Yang ran under the Democratic ticket during the 2020 primaries, but "The Body" goes on to express the importance of the United States finally adopting a viable third party. Ventura says that the two-party system is counter-productive in uniting the country together.
"It's a system that we've been stuck with a very long, long time, by design. I like to refer to it like my friend Ralph Nader always said, 'It's the two-party dictatorship,'" he said before elaborating.
"You'll notice that these two parties, they have no problem when it comes to defense and war. They're all on board. They rubberstamp anything with bipartisan support if we're going to a war. Are they supporting the military-industrial complex? No problem. That's the part that bothers me the most is they are truly in lockstep over things that are truly are negative to mankind and yet they are at completely different ends when it comes to helping people and doing things for people.
"... You got to go through all the hoops because they don't make it easy. Now, you'd think for president, it would be a standard thing for every state, right? It's a federal office, but it's not. Every state has different criteria and they do that on purpose because that way, it helps stop any third-party movement. These two parties try to do anything they can to try and create hoops and make it difficult for any third party to ever rise up to contend against them. You know, right now, how everyone is so concerned about the divide? I can assure people, Chris, and you can tell them — if Jesse Ventura runs with Andrew Yang and I become the president in 2024, the country will get united within three years, guaranteed."
Ventura cites experience on that. When he came into office as Minnesota Governor in 1998, he had a Republican House of Representatives and Democratic Senate. Ventura said for three years as Governor, whatever party he sided with prevailed, but in the election year, the parties jumped in bed together to oppose him. "The common-sense middle governor," he referred to himself as.
"I guarantee you, by the end of the four-year term, the Dems and Repubs will be in bed together, working together to remove the independent governor or independent president as it might well be. That's a guarantee. They'll be singing 'Kumbaya' by the fire after three years. That's how tight these two parties will be if you get a third-party president in. That's a fact, Chris. Take that to the bank."
It was back in 2020 when Wrestling Inc. Managing Editor Nick Hausman sat down for a conversation with Andrew Yang to discuss his thoughts on WWE and its stance on independent contractors, Saudi Arabia, and more.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Talk Is Jericho" with an h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.