Arnold Schwarzenegger backs Kamala Harris while criticising Donald Trump

Former Republican governor of California expresses his backing for Democratic candidate in a lengthy statement on X

The former governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has thrown his support behind US Vice President Kamala Harris as the list of Republican backers for her campaign continues to grow with less than a week until Election Day.

In a rare political endorsement shared on X, the 77-year-old actor and former Republican governor expressed his backing for Harris in a lengthy statement. “It is probably not a surprise that I hate politics more than ever,” Schwarzenegger admitted, acknowledging that, like many Americans, he wanted to “tune out” this election cycle.

“But I can’t,” he continued, launching a pointed critique of Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate: “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 a trash can for the world is so unpatriotic, it makes me furious.”

He further elaborated on his concerns, saying, “A candidate who won’t 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, a candidate who thinks Americans who disagree with him are the bigger enemies than China, Russia, or North Korea — that won’t solve our problems.”

Schwarzenegger, who served as governor from 2003 to 2011, affirmed his identity, stating, “I will always be an American before I am a Republican.” He urged voters to “close the door on this chapter of history,” asserting that a further Trump administration would lead to “just four more years of bulls--- with no results that makes us angrier and angrier, more divided, and more hateful.”

The two celebrities turned politicians have a history of clashes; after Schwarzenegger replaced Trump as the host of NBC's "Celebrity Apprentice" in 2017, Trump mocked the show's declining ratings, prompting Schwarzenegger to respond with a tongue-in-cheek suggestion that they switch roles: “You can take over TV — because you’re such an expert in ratings — and I take over your job, then people can finally sleep comfortably again,” he quipped in a video posted to Instagram.

Previously, Schwarzenegger endorsed former Ohio Governor John Kasich in the 2016 GOP primary and had urged him to run again to challenge Trump in 2020.

He concluded his post by acknowledging his policy disagreements with the Democratic ticket but maintained that they represent the best option for America’s future: “I want to move forward as a country, and even though I have plenty of disagreements with their platform, I think the only way to do that is with Harris and Walz,” he wrote. “Vote this week. Turn the page and put this junk behind us.”