He survived bullets, dominated both the wrestling ring and the governor’s mansion, and has never been shy about speaking his mind — but Jesse Ventura’s latest bombshell may be his most controversial yet.
On March 24, 2026, the 74-year-old former WWE star and ex-Minnesota governor sat across from journalist Piers Morgan on Piers Morgan Uncensored and dropped a jaw-dropping claim: that the 2024 assassination attempt on Donald Trump may not have been real.
From Butler, Pennsylvania to a TV Studio
On July 13, 2024, near Butler, Pennsylvania, a 20-year-old named Thomas Crooks opened fire on Donald Trump with an AR-15-style rifle from a rooftop during a campaign rally. Trump sustained an injury to his ear, one rally attendee was killed, and two others were critically wounded before Crooks was neutralized by a Secret Service counter-sniper. The FBI closed its investigation in November 2025, and his motive has never been definitively established. Newsner
The moment Trump raised his fist and mouthed “fight, fight, fight” with blood on his face became one of the most iconic — and divisive — images of the 2024 election season.
Now, nearly two years later, Ventura is using his wrestling background to cast doubt on the entire event.
“You Ever Heard of a Blade Job?”
During the interview, Morgan praised Trump’s defiant reaction to the shooting. Ventura wasn’t buying it. When Morgan noted how Trump “got back up” after the attack, Ventura scoffed and replied: “Oh yeah, right, right, right. You ever hear of a blade job?” TV Insider
In professional wrestling, a blade job is when a performer intentionally cuts themselves — sometimes with a concealed razor — to draw blood and heighten the drama of a match. It’s a deliberate act of deception designed to make audiences believe something real has happened.
Ventura implied the same logic might apply to the real-life shooting. When pushed on whether he thought the assassination attempt was staged, he responded: “I don’t know, where’s his scar today?” VT
Morgan pushed back immediately, pointing out that a real person lost their life that day. Firefighter Corey Comperatore, a former volunteer fire chief, was killed while shielding his family from the gunfire. Yahoo! Ventura remained unfazed, responding: “Come on, Piers. You’re gonna tell me this guy’s a big hero now?” When Morgan affirmed that yes, he did consider Trump heroic in that moment, Ventura shot back: “Then he accomplished what he wanted out of you guys.”
The White House Responds
The remarks didn’t go unanswered. The White House condemned Ventura’s comments, with a spokesperson stating: “On that dark day, God spared President Trump’s life by a miraculous millimeter. President Trump is standing stronger than ever as he continues to ‘fight, fight, fight’ for the American people. Only a fool would believe otherwise.” UNILAD
The statement also honored Comperatore, calling him an American hero who selflessly gave his life to protect those around him.
What the Facts Actually Show
Ventura’s theory is not new — it’s one of several conspiracy claims that exploded on social media almost immediately after the shooting. One widely circulated altered image appeared to show Secret Service agents smiling at the scene, with captions suggesting the event was staged. Fact-checks by outlets including the BBC and Reuters confirmed the original Associated Press photograph — taken by photographer Evan Vucci — showed no such smiling. The image had been digitally manipulated. UNILAD
Separately, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino stated after the investigation: “We have reviewed this case over and over — looked into every nugget. We have spoken to the families, the president — there is no cover-up here. There is no motive for it, there is no reason for it.” He also noted that an undetonated explosive device was found in Crooks’ vehicle, suggesting he may have planned to cause even greater harm. UNILAD
Ventura’s Broader Broadside
The Butler conspiracy theory was only part of Ventura’s agenda that evening. He also targeted Trump’s place in sports history, expressing deep frustration that Trump is a WWE Hall of Famer. “Trump being a Hall of Famer is a tragedy,” Ventura said. “This guy has never been in the ring. Donald Trump does not belong in the wrestling Hall of Fame. He never earned it. You know what I had to do to get in? I wrestled 63 consecutive nights in a row. That’s how you get in.” Yahoo!
He also issued a direct challenge to the Trump family over the administration’s military posturing, calling on Barron Trump — the president’s youngest son — to enlist in the armed forces. “A war is justified if you’re willing to send your kids. How can you send somebody else’s kids to a war if you won’t send your own? I want to see a Trump in the military.” NBC Right Now
And when asked if he might re-enter politics himself, Ventura was cryptically optimistic. “I don’t necessarily intend to run again, but I’m working on something that could send me straight to Washington and go face-to-face with this guy,” he hinted, adding: “You’ll have to find out. Wait and see.” Yahoo!
The Verdict
Ventura’s conspiracy claim about the Butler shooting is unsupported by evidence. The FBI investigation found no indication of staging, a real hero died protecting his family, and multiple independent fact-checkers have debunked the circulating falsehoods. What the interview does reveal is something more complicated: a polarizing public figure using the language of entertainment — the world he knows best — to frame political reality, and a media ecosystem hungry enough to amplify it.
Whether you see Jesse Ventura as a truth-teller willing to ask uncomfortable questions, or a conspiracy promoter using a dead man’s tragedy as a prop, one thing is certain: he still knows how to command the room.