Schwarzenegger Will Not Support Trump

| published October 9, 2016 |

By Thursday Review staff writers

Former California Governor and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger says he is—like a huge percentage of the American public—conflicted and unhappy about his choices for U.S. President in 2016. But Schwarzenegger says that despite his self-identification as a loyal Republican in 1968, he cannot and will not support Donald Trump.

The former star of action films Terminator, Predator, True Lies, and The Last Action Hero says he cannot in good conscience support the Republican nominee, and he tells his supporters and followers on social media that he must—for the first time since he became a U.S. citizen—defer from casting his vote for a GOP candidate.

Though Schwarzenegger makes no mention of the recent brouhaha over comments recorded on an open mic which include Trump making lewd and vulgar remarks about women, he joins a growing and large chorus of Republican leaders and elected officials who have backed away from Trump, either withdrawing their endorsements or repudiating support for the GOP nominee.

Schwarzenegger himself faces multiple legal actions for accusations that he harassed women or engaged in sexually offensive conduct years ago before and after a recall campaign in 2003. Schwarzenegger has in part apologized for his actions, though he denies some of the accusations made against him.

The former California Governor, however, has joined a long list of disaffected Republicans seemingly in open rebellion against their party’s nominee. Over the weekend, Trump and his campaign faced a meltdown of sorts as dozens, then scores, of Republican elected officials around the country announced they could no longer support the GOP nominee. House Speaker Paul Ryan, while not rejecting his support of Trump, has called Trump’s sexist commentary unacceptable and disgusting. Running mate Mike Pence has said Trump’s behavior was callous and indefensible.

Others have been less charitable, and at least a half dozen Republican members of the U.S. Senate and a dozen members of the House have called for an emergency meeting of the Republican National Committee to consider dumping Trump from the ticket and replacing his name with that of Pence. Though this scenario is possible under RNC rules and guidelines, it is deemed highly unlikely by political experts who suggest that any full scale attempt to oust Trump has come too late and too close to Election Day.

Schwarzenegger has not indicated who he plans to vote for in November, though he has also said he does not plan to vote for Hillary Clinton.

Related Thursday Review articles:

Trump Defiant as GOP Leaders Call For Ouster; R. Alan Clanton; Thursday Review; October 8, 2016.

Clinton Versus Trump: Sparks Turn Into Explosions in First Debate; R. Alan Clanton; Thursday Review; September 27, 2016.