Arnold Schwarzenegger, the former Governor of California and film star, has made a landmark decision to endorse the Democratic presidential hopeful Kamala Harris and her prospective deputy Tim Walz for the upcoming 2024 elections. This marks a significant shift for Schwarzenegger, a renowned Republican who has voted for his party consistently since acquiring U.S. citizenship in 1983.
In an exhaustive post on social media outlet X, Schwarzenegger underlined his allegiance to the American nation over his party, proclaiming, “I will always be an American before I am a Republican.” The ex-governor admitted his differences with the Democratic agenda, but asserted his conviction that Harris and Walz are the most suitable candidates to steer the nation forward.
Schwarzenegger, who paused his acting career from 2003 to 2011 to govern California, voiced his dissatisfaction with the stagnant progress demonstrated by the country’s leaders over the past decades. He highlighted that despite relentless conversations about reducing the national debt and overhauling the immigration system, actual progress has been scant. He claimed that this trend is especially apparent during election periods, when politicians prioritize campaign promises over true public service that could enhance the quality of life for Americans.
The former governor expressed his dismay at this modus operandi, underlining that politics might seem like a game to those involved, but it has real-life implications for the American populace. He rebuked Trump as a candidate who disrespects votes that are not in his favor, who had incited followers to breach the Capitol while he passively observed, who has enacted little policy apart from a tax cut that chiefly assisted his affluent backers, and who regards fellow Americans with differing opinions as bigger threats than foreign opponents such as China, Russia, or North Korea—none of which, he argued, will resolve the country’s issues.
Schwarzenegger, a vocal critic of Trump, and his successor as the host of The New Celebrity Apprentice in 2016, has consistently opposed Trump’s actions. He drew a parallel between the attack on the Capitol on January 6 and Kristallnacht, a violent event in Nazi Germany, and labelled Trump as a failed leader whom he believes will go down in history as the worst U.S. president.
Schwarzenegger suggested that if Trump were to secure a second term, it would lead to another four years of ineffective leadership, causing further animosity, division, and hatred in the country. He stressed the urgency to move past this chapter in American history, a goal he believes Trump would fail to achieve.
He articulated his wish for the nation to advance, noting that despite his differences with their policies, he considers Harris and Walz the only viable options.
Kamala Harris has been proactively seeking support from prominent Republicans who see the forthcoming election as an opportunity to rise above party politics. Schwarzenegger’s endorsement is a significant bipartisan development, given his past role as a Republican governor of California, the most populous state in the nation.
