Arnold Schwarzenegger still claims he’s a Republican, but now says that the party has “veered off into the right,” going so far as to say that "Russians make [Trump] say certain things."
The “Terminator” actor also took a moment to throw a shot across the bow of President Trump, further feeding into the Trump/Russia collusion theory.
During Schwarzenegger’s “Off Message” interview with Politico at the 2018 South by Southwest Festival (SXSW) on Sunday, the former California governor was asked about a comment Trump about him in late 2017 concerning Schwarzenegger’s hosting job on NBC’s “Celebrity Apprentice.”
“And I must tell you, I can’t believe that Arnold Schwarzenegger bombed so badly on 'The Apprentice,' my poor beautiful show,” Trump during a December 2017 rally. “Oh, it was so successful. Get a big movie star and he can’t pull it off.”
Obviously Trump was joking, but Schwarzenegger took it to heart and responded with careless rhetoric when asked about it.
“Well, first of all, I think it’s very to call me a movie star, so that’s very nice,” Schwarzenegger said. “But, you know, I really never know exactly why the Russians make him say certain things.”
Here’s video of Schwarzenegger’s Trump/Russian comment:
Well, isn’t that special? I wonder if Schwarzenegger came up with that all on his own.
In the interview, the self-professed Republican decided to not only bash Trump, but also to denigrate the people that voted for Trump: Republicans.
According to Deadline Hollywood, Schwarzenegger bashed half the country when responding to a question during the interview about a letter he received - that still hanfs in his office - from former president Bill Clinton about switching parties.
“That’s a fun letter, and I like supporting him on some issues, but the bottom line is that I’m a Republican, and I’m a true Republican, and I will always be a Republican,” Schwarzenegger said. “It’s a fantastic party, but they’ve veered off into the right into some strange lanes.”
Maybe Schwarzenegger “veered off" into the Left, because the majority that voted for Trump in 2016 are the same people who Schwarzenegger claims to share a party with.
Politicians and people of power are often accused of not knowing their base. Mr. Schwarzenegger might need a refresher course.