Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura dismissed rumors of a presidential bid and condemned the two major parties.
In a late-night Twitter thread, in which Ventura directed criticism at journalists, the retired professional wrestler said he had no plans to run for president this year but instructed supporters to vote for the Green Party.
“We have the RIGHT to vote for the BEST candidate and that person DOESN’T have to be a DemoCRIPT or ReBLOODlican,” Ventura tweeted, disparaging members of the two main political parties in the United States. “These gangs have got to go. They don’t deserve your vote. They’re splitting your vote against the best option.”
We have the RIGHT to vote for the BEST candidate and that person DOESN’T have to be a DemoCRIPT or ReBLOODlican. These gangs have got to go. They don’t deserve your vote. They’re splitting your vote against the best option. https://t.co/HgG4XpvQ2t
— Jesse Ventura (@GovJVentura) April 23, 2020
Ventura claimed the Republican and Democratic parties are failing to “represent the majority” of voters and criticized the media for focusing on “electability” after President Trump won the 2016 election, defying many predictions.
Ventura, who served as part of the Underwater Demolition Team in the Navy during the Vietnam War, has a history of winning political office as an outsider. In 1998, he was elected the 38th governor of Minnesota as a member of the Reform Party.
The former governor aimed much of his ire at journalists whom he accused of writing “salacious click bait articles” about his potential run for president with the intent of getting “a bump in their feed.”
“Earn your paycheck,” Ventura added. “Verify something. Anything. Let’s start with: No, I haven’t filed to run for office. Do some fact checking before you state that I’m taking someone on. It’s called ENDORSING a political party. READ the tweets. They’re self explanatory. VOTE GREEN.”
Another political figure who has eschewed the two-party system, former Republican Michigan Rep. Justin Amash, has repeatedly signaled he is considering joining the Libertarian Party to launch a 2020 presidential campaign, although nothing has been confirmed.
In 2016, the Green Party selected Jill Stein, who finished fourth in the presidential election, netting about 1% of the popular vote.
