Ventura: LBJ Had The Most To Gain From JFK Assassination

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Fifteen years ago, Jesse Ventura announced "We shocked the world!" when voters chose him to be the next governor of Minnesota.

Now, he's talking about the events of 50 years ago in his new book "They Killed Our President: 63 Reasons To Believe There Was A Conspiracy To Assassinate JFK."

Ventura says he has been studying the assassination of President John F. Kennedy since 1985, when he was forced to spend hours and days at airports while traveling as a professional wrestler.

"I was 12 years old when it happened," he said. "I had my doubts about it as I got older."

Ventura said that he does not believe the Warren Commission report on the assassination, which claimed that Lee Harvey Oswald acted as the sole assassin.

Much like the claims film director Oliver Stone made in his controversial 1991 film "JFK," Ventura says that Kennedy's vice president Lyndon B. Johnson also played a role in the Dallas shooting.

"There were two conspiracies that took place that fateful day. There was the actual conspiracy to murder the president, and then there was the second conspiracy to cover it up," Ventura said. "Whenever you look at a murder, you have to look at who had the most to gain, who had the biggest motive. And it comes back to Lyndon Johnson."

Ventura said prior to the assassination, Johnson was embroiled in twin scandals -- Billy Sol Estes and Bobby Baker -- that some speculate had Kennedy considering dropping him from the ticket in 1964.

As he spoke about the 35th and 36th presidents of the U.S., Ventura also talked about his plans to make a run at being the country's 45th. He said he has spoken with radio personality Howard Stern about the possibility of making a run for U.S. President in 2016.

"People take that as a joke, but it really isn't, because I need someone -- if I do do it -- like Howard to keep my integrity," Ventura said. "I will not submit to the bribery that our system is."

Ventura claimed that back in 1998, he only raised $300,000 in campaign funds, all from direct individual donations and none from PACs or special interest groups.

"That's why I would need someone like Howard Stern, who could raise the money from regular people to make us competitive," he said.

Readers and political enthusiasts can meet Jesse Ventura at two book signings this week. On Monday night, he'll be at the Barnes and Noble Book Store in Rochester. And this Thursday he'll be at the Barnes and Noble in Roseville. Both book signings start at 7 p.m.