Arnold Schwarzenegger endorses Kamala Harris, calls Trump ‘un-American’–but many fans disagree

Arnold Schwarzenegger publicly endorsed Kamala Harris on Wednesday, expressing his discontent with both major political parties. The former California governor and “Terminator” star emphasized his patriotism over party affiliation, stating, “I will always be an American before I am a Republican.”

In a lengthy statement posted on X, Schwarzenegger condemned the rejection of election results as fundamentally “un-American.” He expressed frustration with the negative portrayal of the United States, saying, “Calling America a trash can for the world is so unpatriotic, it makes me furious.”

The Terminator star, whose credits include True Lies and Predator, wrote: “My Republicans have forgotten the beauty of the free market, driven up deficits, and rejected election results. Democrats aren’t any better at dealing with deficits, and I worry about their local policies hurting our cities with increased crime.

Schwarzenegger announced that he would be voting for Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz in the upcoming election, highlighting his commitment to American values.

Following Arnold Schwarzenegger’s recent endorsement of Kamala Harris, social media lit up with praise from users across the political spectrum who admired his calm, reasoned approach to sharing his views—even from those who won’t be voting for Harris.

One commenter wrote, “Love you Arnie, don’t agree with your choice here at all, but that’s the beauty of being reasonable, objective, and open to discourse. We can all get along and thrive. It’s what a republic should strive to be.” Schwarzenegger replied, “This is how we should disagree with each other in this country. Thank you.”

Another voter, echoing a similar sentiment, stated, “I don’t agree with him politically but I respect the man nonetheless.” To which Schwarzenegger responded, “We don’t have to agree on everything, but I want to thank you for showing that we can disagree respectfully.”

A third commenter, who expressed an intention to vote for a third-party candidate, said, “Arnold’s reasoning is logical and rational, if perhaps a bit too pragmatic for me. But that’s who he is… and that’s why I can respect his decision and continue to respect him.” Schwarzenegger responded with a note of appreciation, “This is how we should talk about political disagreements. Thank you for being a great example.”

Amid the current polarized atmosphere, Schwarzenegger’s commitment to respectful debate has won him admiration across the political divide.