The O'Reilly Factor
May 1, 2001

Bill O'Reilly: I've gotta ask you, before we get to President Bush, about the Kerrey situation, because you were a former Navy SEAL. (Ventura nods in agreement) Any thoughts on it?

Governor Ventura: Well, my thoughts are this: If Senator Kerrey's out there listening to me right now, Senator you have my full support during these tough times that you're facing. You are an American hero, you're a Congressional Medal of Honor winner and never forget that. And let me say this Bill, that in the SEALs you are taught to gain fire superiority. We are a small unit that goes generally into very hostile territory and if you take any type of fire we solve that problem with fire superiority‹means all hell is going to break loose and we're gonna open up and we're trained to do that in the situations that we're in. I know Senator Kerrey, I know his leadership, and i doubt, fully, that Senator Bob Kerrey would ever allow his men to do what they're trying to claim happened there, or whatever this is about. If innocent civilians were killed, they were killed in the line of duty, and they were killed by accident. And i wasn't there, but i'm willing to put that on the line for Senator Kerrey.

Bill O'Reilly: Okay. Alright. And again, we weren't there.

Governor Ventura: That's right.

Bill O'Reilly: And, uh, it's a very interesting situation.

Ventura: That's right.