Exclusive interview with WWF legend and former governor of Minnesota Jesse "The Body" Ventura

The hosts of Ring Rust Radio – Donald Wood, Mike Chiari and Brandon Galvin – recently had the chance to interview WWF legend and former governor of Minnesota Jesse “The Body” Ventura. With Ventura’s book “American Conspiracies” recently being re-released, Ring Rust Radio talks to the former governor about his potential bid for the presidency, his ORA TV show “Off the Grid” and his short stint in WCW and more. You can listen to the interview on the YouTube player below or continue past to read the entire interview here.

Ring Rust Radio: The first edition of your book “American Conspiracies” was a New York Times bestseller, and you have released the second edition that is already making waves. Why was now the right time to release the new “American Conspiracies” and what are you hoping to accomplish with this book that you didn’t with the first?

Jesse Ventura: First of all, I didn’t choose to re-release it. My publisher Sky Horse publishing wanted to do an updated version, so I said fine and had no problem with that. We released a new version with four new conspiracies because generally the way the government operates, you can probably get a new conspiracy out of them every year. They will do something they don’t want you to know about, they will cover it up with the cloak of national security, and then you have to uncover it to find out the things they are doing now.

Ring Rust Radio: You’re very well known for your time as Minnesota governor and you’ve expressed interest in potentially running for president in 2016 as a Libertarian candidate. Why might you consider throwing your hat into the ring, and why do you think you would have success if you did?

Jesse Ventura: Well, if you look at the situation right now, there is the start of a revolution happening here. You can see it in the Republican Party right now. Their three leaders have never held the office at the any time. You’re watching these two parties disintegrate in their own way before your eyes, which is good. Come next spring time, the pipers will be out and it will be down to two people when the Libertarians name their candidate. They go to the Libertarian convention, name their candidate, then from June to November you will be on the ballot in 47 to 48 states. Then the key would be to get into the debates. You have to be in the debates to have a chance to win. You need to wait in my case, if I am going to do it. I wait until they get down to one or two people so you save money and don’t spin your wheels and waste your time.

Ring Rust Radio: Donald Trump is undoubtedly the most polarizing figure in the presidential race currently. What are your overall impressions of him and his presidential qualifications?

Jesse Ventura: Donald Trump was a supporter of me way back in the days of the reform party in the 90s. I knew Donald for twenty or twenty five years now since back to WrestleMania four or five and all that. He has always threatened to run but has never gone through with it, but now he has gone through with it and he is in for the long haul. The problem is, if he doesn’t get the Republican nomination, what happens to all the people that were going to vote for him? Would they just go back to the normal Republican? Or would they look for something else? The same thing could be said for Bernie Sanders.  He is an Independent infiltrating the Democrats. He won’t get the nomination either and what will happen to all his voters? Where will they go? Will they simply go back to the Democratic Party? I don’t think so. When you look at the whole nation, the last election, 64 percent of the people chose not to vote, that is almost two-thirds of the nation didn’t vote. Well those are potential customers for me if I run because that’s how I won in Minnesota. I was getting people who didn’t normally vote to get out and vote.

Ring Rust Radio: In addition to your books, you’re also hosting ORA TV’s “Off The Grid.” Tell the fans who have never seen the show what to expect when tuning in, and where and when they can find the program.

Jesse Ventura: It’s on ORA TV which is on the internet Monday through Friday and I am off the grid when I do it. What you are going to get is Jesse Ventura in a ten to eleven minute interview on any subject. It really turns me loose and being on the internet there aren’t any FCC regulations, I’m in total control of my show, and it’s the most fun I have ever had doing a show.

Ring Rust Radio: Your history with Hulk Hogan is very well documented, and he’s been in the news a lot lately because of his falling out with WWE due to a racial slur scandal. Having known Hogan dating back many years, what was your reaction when you heard about the scandal?

Jesse Ventura: Maybe the people are seeing the real Hulk Hogan. Let’s all remember we play parts in wrestling and may be nothing like we are in real life. Maybe we are seeing what Hulk Hogan is in real life. I am only speculating on that so bear that in mind. We would always laugh when he would tell the little kids to say their prayers and eat their vitamins, and we would always laugh and say, ‘oral or injectables?’ What kind of vitamins are we talking here? I remember when Hogan would always deny that he used steroids and I would always laugh.

Ring Rust Radio: Your stint as an announcer with WCW from 1992 through 1994 was fairly short-lived and there’s been a lot of speculation over the years why you and WCW parted ways. What’s the real story regarding that situation?

Jesse Ventura: The real story was, when they brought me in they paid me big money because I made the jump from the WWF. A lot of people couldn’t handle the money they were paying me to just be an announcer, Bill Watts included, who was the head booker. I think Jim Ross was very jealous because he wouldn’t work with me. I would toss him lines and he wouldn’t respond to them, and he even admitted that he didn’t do the best job he could when he worked with me in WCW. I think Jim was jealous of the money I was getting which wasn’t my fault. He shouldn’t have blamed me for it. There never was the chemistry there with Jim Ross that I had with Vince or Gorilla. The reason it ended up the way it did, was they brought Hogan in and then Hogan had me immediately dismissed. I remember, I had six months to go on my contract and I never had to work. They just paid me and I sat at home. Hogan came in and he did not want me on the mic there. He had the power to do it so Eric Bischoff—that little—I have a few names for him, the backstabber Eric Bischoff, and I never worked my last six months as soon as Hulk Hogan was brought in.