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The “Terminator” actor and former Republican governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, announced his endorsement of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris on Wednesday, emphasizing that supporting her is essential to move past the divisive era of Donald Trump.
The 77-year-old former bodybuilder acknowledged having concerns with both major political parties, yet he admitted that Donald Trump’s comments referring to the United States as “a trash can for the world” had particularly infuriated him.With the election on November 5 just around the corner, Schwarzenegger has joined a substantial group of former Republican officials, such as former Vice President Dick Cheney, in endorsing the Democratic presidential candidate rather than supporting Trump.
“To someone like me who talks to people all over the world and still knows America is the shining city on a hill, calling America… a trash can for the world is so unpatriotic, it makes me furious,” said the actor.
“I will always be an American before I am a Republican. That’s why, this week, I am voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz,” he wrote on X.
Since wrapping up his two-term governorship of California in 2011, the most populous state in the U.S., Schwarzenegger has taken on the role of an advocate for environmental issues, small business initiatives, and comprehensive immigration reform.
Read also: ‘Garbage’: Harris Distances Self From Biden Over Comments
In the wake of the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol carried out by Trump supporters, Schwarzenegger made a striking comparison, likening the incident to the Kristallnacht riots of Nazi Germany in his native Austria. He described Trump as a “failed leader” destined to be remembered as “the worst president ever.”
On Wednesday, he said doesn’t “like either party right now.”
“My Republicans have forgotten the beauty of the free market, driven up deficits, and rejected election results,” he said.
He expressed concern that Democrats were not significantly better at managing deficits and feared that their local policies might negatively impact cities by contributing to higher crime rates.
