Jesse Ventura Rips ‘Rich White Boy’ Donald Trump as ‘Biggest Draft Dodger’

One-time Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura known as out former President Donald Trump as a “wealthy white boy” and the “greatest draft dodger” in a CNN look final evening.

Talking with CNN’s Laura Coates on Friday evening, Ventura, criticized the GOP presidential candidate and his operating mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, for his or her character and values, significantly referencing army service.

Ventura, who served within the U.S. Navy in the course of the Vietnam Warfare, advised Coates: “Vance is doing a disservice to himself and a disservice to america Marine Corps. I do know quite a lot of nice Marines, and Marines present respect, and Vance will not be exhibiting respect.” Vance is a Marine veteran who served in Iraq.

Ventura added: “who does he [Vance] have respect for, Donald Trump—the largest draft dodger from the Vietnam Warfare, the wealthy white boy who purchased his method out of it.”

Newsweek reached out to Trump and Vance’s press workforce for remark by way of electronic mail on Saturday.

Trump has confronted criticism for his medical deferment from the Vietnam Warfare draft, which he attributed to bone spurs in his heels. In 2018, the daughters of the podiatrist who identified the then-22-year-old Trump mentioned that the prognosis was made as a favor to his father, Fred Trump, in response to a New York Occasions report.

Ventura advised Coates: “I come from south Minneapolis. My mates and I did not get out of it; we both received drafted or we enlisted.” He added: “Donald Trump was your typical white wealthy boy who did not must serve in Vietnam ‘trigger he might purchase his method out of it. That is who Vance is standing with; this man who leads from the rear.”

Ventura and Trump share an extended historical past. In 2000, the previous expressed assist for Trump, saying he would “completely get my full consideration” as a possible Reform Celebration presidential candidate—the identical platform Ventura was elected on in 1998. Throughout that dialog, Trump referred to Ventura as a buddy, saying, “I am a giant supporter of Jesse.”

Nevertheless, lately, Ventura has been outspoken in opposition to Trump, writing in a 2016 Time journal opinion piece that he “might by no means endorse him.”

Newsweek reached out to Ventura’s enterprise, Retro Bakery, by way of electronic mail for touch upon Saturday.

Candidates’ army service has been a scorching matter in election campaigns this previous week, with each Vance and Vice President Kamala Harris’ operating mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, coming below scrutiny from partisan assaults over their service.

Chatting with reporters in Michigan on Wednesday, Vance accused Walz of “stolen valor,” of getting “lied” about serving in a conflict and of “abandoning” his unit. Walz spent 24 years within the Nationwide Guard and left in 2005, two months earlier than the battalion he led was notified that it could to be deployed to Iraq.

Vance himself served within the Marine Corps for 4 years, and he additionally by no means noticed fight. He labored as a fight correspondent in Iraq between August 2005 and February 2006. The senator has now been broadly condemned for attacking Walz’s army file as his personal background is scrutinized, with Ventura calling Vance’s assault “despicable.”

Luke Schroeder, a spokesperson for Senator Vance, advised Newsweek in an electronic mail Saturday: “Tim Walz lied about carrying a weapon in a conflict and deserted his unit as they ready to truly deploy for conflict; he mentioned he would reply the decision, however when the decision got here, he ran for workplace as a substitute.

“There’s nothing extra insulting to veterans who do reply the decision to serve in a fight zone like Senator Vance did than those that have interaction in stolen valor to learn their political profession, which is strictly what Walz seems to have achieved.”

Up to date 8/10/24 at 12:30 p.m. ET: This text has been up to date to incorporate Schroeder’s remark.