Jesse Ventura Returns - SAS CLASSIC

In this second part of a two-part conversation, Steve Austin welcomes back Jesse Ventura, former governor of Minnesota and legendary pro wrestler, for an in-depth discussion spanning his wrestling career, political life, and current activism. Ventura reflects on his time in the WWF, his unique heel persona, and his controversial attempt to unionize wrestlers in the early '80s—only to be betrayed by Hulk Hogan, who informed Vince McMahon. He recounts his 2009 return as GM on Monday Night Raw, where he intentionally played the villain to relive his past glory. The conversation shifts to Ventura’s new book, *The Marijuana Manifesto*, where he passionately argues for nationwide legalization, citing personal experience with medical marijuana curing a loved one’s epilepsy, historical evidence that George Washington and Thomas Jefferson cultivated hemp, and the economic and social benefits of legalization. He also discusses the political and corporate forces—Big Pharma, Big Alcohol, and the prison-industrial complex—that oppose legalization. Ventura reveals he’s now working with Russian television (RT America) due to being blackballed in the U.S. media, and expresses his belief that the U.S. is viewed as a global aggressor, advocating for better relations with Russia. He remains committed to exposing government overreach, from FEMA camps to Plum Island’s biological warfare history, and plans to publish a book on his legal battle against Chris Kyle’s estate. The episode closes with a nostalgic look at Ventura’s iconic commentary work with Vince McMahon.