"Jesse Ventura calls JD Vance's criticism of Walz's military record ‘despicable’"
CNN (August 10, 2024)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qab007BtkDM

Questioner:

Jesse Ventura: “Well Laura, I’ll tell you what I think. I think it’s shameful. I think it’s shameful that a veteran would attack another veteran. Governor Walz served honorably for 24 years in the national guard. After 20 years, you are eligible to retire at any time you deem necessary. They talk about him missing his deployment. Then maybe Mr Vance should ask the real question: What is the national guard doing deploying to a foreign war? Well, let’s go into history and figure out how that happened. That happened because George W. Bush and Dick Cheney went into Iraq based on lies. No Weapons of Mass Destruction. No Al Qaeda. Nothing with 9/11. And they ran out of bodies. They needed more bodies. They couldn’t implement The Draft. That would be political suicide. So what George Bush did was sign an executive ordering the National Guard into foreign deployment. The National Guard is not for foreign deployment. Their name says what they do. They guard our nation from within. So this is hogwash about Governor Walz missing deployment. After 24 years, he’s an E-9. I deployed twice. We never even had an E-9 deploy with us. E-9s are not going to walk the point. They’re not going to be involved in any combat whatsoever. They are figureheads being the most senior within their company. And that’s what it’s all about. So I think that Vance is doing a disservice to himself and a disservice to the United States Marine Corps. I know a lot of great marines, and marines show respect. Vance is not showing respect.”

“And let’s continue. Who does he have respect for? Donald Trump, the biggest draft dodger of the Vietnam War. The rich white boy who bought his way out of it. I’m from South Minneapolis. My friends and I didn’t get out of it. We either got drafted or we enlisted. Donald Trump was your typical rich white boy who didn’t have to serve in Vietnam because he could buy his way out of it. And that’s who Vance is standing with? That guy who leads from the rear?

Questioner: Then, given all that you describe from the politics and the person at the top of the ticket who has been criticized for the “bone spurs” as the reason for not going . . . So why do you think that this is the line of attack since it obviously would alienate voters on one level and also people who served in the armed forces on the other?

Jesse Ventura: “I don’t know. You would have to ask Mr Vance that. I don’t understand his motive whatsoever, how he could turn against a fellow veteran. You know, there is kind of an unwritten rule among us veterans. You don’t criticize another veteran. Not every veteran is a knuckle-dragger. And I’m not going to define “knuckle-dragger.” If you’ve been in the service, you’ll know what a knuckle-dragger is. But as a frogman in the United States Navy, my job was to make sure the Marines could get to shore to do their job. We went in ahead of them. We went in before them. We made sure the marines could land. And here’s the point, being a marine like he is and then criticizing the governor after 24 years of service. It’s despicable on his behalf for doing that. And I hope all veterans feel the same way I do about it. You don’t criticize another veteran and how they served. Whether they’re a cook or whatever they do, they all have a job to do. And if you’re going to be successful, everyone has to do their job, to pitch in to be successful. . . .”