Arnold Schwarzenegger called Donald Trump a “failed leader” and claimed he will be remembered as the “worst president” in U.S. history. The former governor of California posted a video on Twitter with a powerful message about the Capitol riots. Schwarzenegger said, “We need to heal, together, from the drama of what has just happened. We need to heal, not as Republicans or as Democrats, but as Americans.”
Schwarzenegger compared the Jan. 6, 2021 riots at the US Capitol to Kristallnacht (a.k.a. the “Night of Broken Glass”). Kristallnacht was a historical night of violence by the Nazi party against Jews in Germany and Austria in 1938 (via CNN). The events during the “Night of Broken Glass” served as a dark turning point that eventually led to WWII and the Holocaust.
“Wednesday was the day of broken glass right here in the United States,” Schwarzenegger said, referring to broken windows in the Capitol building. The Hollywood star-turned-politician pointed out that the pro-Trump mob at Capitol Hill “shattered the ideas we took for granted” and “trampled the very principles on which our country was founded.”
Schwarzenegger shared harsh words for the president: “The good thing is he will soon be as irrelevant as an old tweet.” He also said, “President Trump sought to overturn the results of an election, of a fair election. He sought a coup by misleading people with lies. My father and our neighbors were misled also with lies, and I know where such lies lead.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger reflected on his childhood
In Arnold Schwarzenegger’s video about the Capitol Hill riots, he talked about his childhood in Austria after World War II. The Terminator actor called out the parallels between his childhood in post-Nazi Austria and our current political situation.
Schwarzenegger was born in Austria just two years after the Nazis lost the war. Schwarzenegger said he grew up in Austria around “broken men drinking away the guilt over their participation in the most evil regime in history.” The former governor of California said the men in his town weren’t all “rabid anti-Semites or Nazis. Many just went along, step-by-step, down the road.”
In the video, Schwarzenegger also shared a story about his father, a member of the Nazi Party during World War II. He said, “I’ve never shared this publicly because it is a painful memory, but my father would come home drunk once or twice a week, and he would scream and hit us and scare my mother.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger also shared an inspiring message about democracy
In Arnold Schwarzenegger’s video, he showed his sword from Conan the Barbarian to make a point. According to TMZ, the former governor used the sword “as a metaphor to describe how the United States can triumph over the Capitol rioters who want to tear this country apart.” Schwarzenegger said, “Our democracy is like the steel of this sword,” he said. “The more it is tempered, the stronger it becomes.”
Schwarzenegger, who is a Republican, called on Americans to support President-elect Joe Biden. The Terminator star wished Biden success as president, saying, “If you succeed, our nation succeeds. We support you with all our hearts as you seek to bring us together.”
Schwarzenegger also denounced the elected officials who have enabled President Trump. The legendary actor called out Republicans who had exhibited “spinelessness” and said they were “complicit” with the violent mob who carried out the insurrection at Capitol Hill. The former governor of California delivered a stern message: “And to those who think they can overturn the United States Constitution, know this. You will never win.”
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