On Wednesday, former California Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced he’s voting for Democrat nominee Kamala Harris instead of former President Donald Trump.
Schwarzenegger, the Austrian-American bodybuilder and actor known for his role in “The Terminator” served as the Republican governor of California from 2003 to 2011.
“Let me be honest with you: I donโt like either party right now. My Republicans have forgotten the beauty of the free market, driven up deficits, and rejected election results. Democrats arenโt any better at dealing with deficits, and I worry about their local policies hurting our cities with increased crime,” Schwarzenegger wrote. It is probably not a surprise that I hate politics more than ever, which, if you are a normal person who isnโt addicted to this crap, you probably understand.”
“I want to tune out. But I canโt,” Schwarzenegger continued. “Because rejecting the results of an election is as un-American as it gets. 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 is a trash can for the world is so unpatriotic, it makes me furious.”
“And I will always be an American before I am a Republican,” he said. “Thatโs why, this week, I am voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. Iโm sharing it with all of you because I think there are a lot of you who feel like I do. You donโt recognize our country. And you are right to be furious.”
Schwarzenegger turned his criticism toward Republican nominee Donald Trump.
“But a candidate who wonโt respect your vote unless it is for him, a candidate who will send his followers to storm the Capitol while he watches with a Diet Coke, a candidate who has shown no ability to work to pass any policy besides a tax cut that helped his donors and other rich people like me but helped no one else else, a candidate who thinks Americans who disagree with him are the bigger enemies than China, Russia, or North Korea – that wonโt solve our problems,” Schwarzenegger wrote. “It will just be four more years of bullsh– with no results that makes us angrier and angrier, more divided, and more hateful.”
“We need to close the door on this chapter of American history, and I know that former President Trump wonโt do that,” Schwarzenegger wrote. “He will divide, he will insult, he will find new ways to be more un-American than he already has been, and we, the people, will get nothing but more anger.”
However, despite Schwarzenegger’s decision to back Trump, the Republican nominee scored the support of an American icon on Tuesday.
Legendary astronaut, Korean War hero and retired Brigadier General Buzz Aldrin has publicly endorsed Donald Trump for president, adding his voice to the support for the Republican nominee and former president. Known worldwide for his historic contributions to space exploration, particularly as the second man to walk on the moon, Aldrin expressed strong approval of Trumpโs leadership.
Aldrin, born Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr. on Jan. 20, 1930, outlined his reasons for the endorsement in a press release, citing Trumpโs vision for the nation and space exploration as aligned with his own. He emphasized Trumpโs approach to American strength, innovation and national pride, qualities Aldrin agrees are essential for future progress.
In a press release, Aldrin elaborated on his reasons for supporting the Republican nominee and former president:
โAmerica is a nation of bold ambition, hope, and energy. We are a nation of free thought, free association, and free movement. We are a nation that allows the best of humanity to emerge, and we strive for great things. Only in America, the nation that I love, believe in, and took an oath to defend, do you find our spirit, the vision to break boundaries, turn impossible feats into reality.
A half-Century ago, I was part of an important effort to put a human being on the Moon. It was an honor to serve my country in that capacity. I am proud of what we accomplished then. While it has been 55 years since Americans set foot on the Moon, the only nation ever to do so, that effort continues to inspire new generations of Americans โ to press ahead, blaze new trails of understanding, and expand our presence in space, For All Mankind. I have dedicated my life to the pursuit of scientific understanding, exploration, and an enduring human presence in space. The importance of that mission, that calling, runs through every fiber of my being.
