Millions of Californians have already cast votes for the Nov. 5 election. Brittany Hope reports for Today in LA on Tuesday Oct. 29, 2024.
Vice President Kamala Harris picked up support Wednesday from former Republican California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in a rare political candidate endorsement from the Hollywood star.
In a lengthy post on X, Schwarzenegger opened by stating his reluctance to endorse political candidates, but said he is crossing party lines and voting for the former California attorney general in the Nov. 5 election.
"It is probably not a surprise that I hate politics more than ever, which, if you are a normal person who isn’t addicted to this crap, you probably understand," Schwarzenegger said. "I want to tune out. But I can’t. 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. That’s why, this week, I am voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz."
I don’t really do endorsements. I’m not shy about sharing my views, but I hate politics and don’t trust most politicians.
— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) October 30, 2024
I also understand that people want to hear from me because I am not just a celebrity, I am a former Republican Governor.
My time as Governor taught me to…
The post went on to reference Harris' opponent, former President Trump, and a growing dislike of politics.
"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 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 said. "It will just be four more years of bull---- with no results that makes us angrier and angrier, more divided, and more hateful.
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"We need to close the door on this chapter of American history, and I know that former President Trump won’t do that. 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."
The post closed with a plea to voters.
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"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," Schwarzenegger said. "Vote this week. Turn the page and put this junk behind us."
Before the 2016 election, Schwarzenegger declared he would not be voting for the Republican nominee. The "Terminator" film star, whose USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy was established to advance post-partisanship and influence public policy and debate, said he doubted he would vote for Trump before the 202 election.
Both candidates are blitzing swing states, including Wisconsin, this week with six days to go before Election Day.
Harris will be in the capitol of Madison, where she will appear with Mumford & Sons, Gracie Abrams, Remi Wolf and members of the band The National. Trump will be in Green Bay with former Packers quarterback Brett Favre.
