The attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Butler in 2024 continues to spark debate.
Now, Jesse Ventura, a former WWE star and Minnesota governor, has raised questions about a key detail in the attack.
On July 13, 2024, near Butler, Pennsylvania, a man named Thomas Crooks opened fire on Donald Trump with an AR‑15–style rifle from a rooftop during a rally.
Trump was injured in the ear, one attendee was killed, and two others were critically wounded before Crooks was shot dead by a Secret Service sniper. His motive remains unknown, and the FBI closed its investigation in November 2025. Limited information about Crooks has been released, and public polls suggest many Americans suspect he may not have acted alone, fueling conspiracy theories.
One of the people questioning what happened that July day is Jesse Ventura, the former WWE star and Minnesota governor, who has stirred controversy by challenging a key detail of the 2024 assassination attempt on Donald Trump.
In an interview with Piers Morgan, he suggested the incident was “fake.”
Ventura — no stranger to conspiracy theories after hosting his TV series Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura — left Morgan stunned when he referred to the president’s near‑death experience as a “blade job.”
In wrestling, a blade job is when a performer intentionally cuts themselves to appear seriously injured, heightening the drama. While used for entertainment in WWE, Ventura implied the term could also apply to the shooting at the Butler rally. Trump had been addressing the crowd when a bullet struck his ear as he turned to look at a chart on stage, prompting Secret Service agents to rush in. He later appeared in Wisconsin with a bandage on his ear.
During the interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored, Morgan commented on Trump’s apparent defiance after the attack.
Ventura scoffed: “Oh yeah right, right, right — you ever heard of a blade job?” When asked if he believed the assassination attempt was “fake,” Ventura added: “I don’t know, where’s his scar today?”
Morgan reminded him that a former volunteer fire chief near Trump at the rally had died as a result of the shooting.
Ventura brushed it off, saying, “I don’t know, come on Piers, you’re going to tell me this guy’s a big hero now?” When Morgan pressed further, Ventura replied sharply: “Then he accomplished what he wanted out of you guys.” Asked what he would say to Trump if given the chance, Ventura said he would “prefer not” to speak to the president, claiming:
“He has no courage. He never has. There’s always one guy who will start the fight, and then hold your coat. That’s Donald Trump.”
Ventura, born in Minneapolis, has had a wide‑ranging career. He served in the Navy Special Operations Underwater Demolition/SEAL Teams during the Vietnam War before becoming a professional wrestling heel from 1975 to 1986, performing as Jesse “the Body” Ventura.
He spent years in the WWF/WWE as both a performer and color commentator and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004. Outside the ring, he pursued acting, appearing in films like Predator and The Running Man.
He entered politics in 1991 as mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, serving until 1995. In 1998, he ran as the Reform Party candidate for Minnesota governor and won in a major upset, defeating both Democratic and Republican opponents.
He later left the Reform Party, finishing his term with the Independence Party of Minnesota. As governor, Ventura implemented tax reforms, income tax cuts, and oversaw the construction of the METRO Blue Line light rail. He did not seek reelection and left office in 2003, remaining active in politics through books, media, and occasional endorsements, including supporting the Green Party in 2020 and the Democratic ticket in 2024.
