The Republican and former California governor believes he would win if he runs for the Oval office. The Terminator star, who was born and raised in Austria, believes he “absolutely” would win the 2024 election if he was eligible to run.
Schwarzenegger appeared on Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace on Max and CNN, where he confirmed he’d throw his hat in the ring if it was an option.
“The Constitution says that the President has to be a natural born U.S. citizen. If not for that, would you have run for president?” Wallace asked.
“Well, yes, of course. I mean, I think the field was wide open in 2016. And I think the field is open right now,” Schwarzenegger, 75, replied. “I mean, think about it right now. I mean, who is there that is really a person that can bring everyone together? Who is there today that people say OK, he’s not too old or he’s not too this or too that and all this stuff, because it’s now a question about who do you vote against than who do you vote for.”
“You’re saying you would run for president in 2024?” Wallace followed up.
“Absolutely,” Schwarzenegger confirmed. “It’s a no-brainer. I see so clearly how I could win that election.”
The Fubar star likened it to when he ran for governor in 2003. (Schwarzenegger won a recall election and ultimately served until 2011.)
“It was clear that people are looking for some new answer, not a right wing or left wing, but someone that can bring the nation together,” he continued. “There’s just so many things that need to be done, and can be done. And what makes it so wonderful is because it’s doable. It’s all doable, or at least it’s just people coming together and say yes, we can do it.”
Schwarzenegger went on to say he’s “not worried” that Donald Trump will win next year. Earlier this week, the former president pleaded not guilty to all federal charges stemming from a 37-count indictment in the Justice Department’s investigation into his handling of classified documents and alleged efforts to obstruct the investigation.
“If the charges are correct, then he’s going to be in deep trouble,” Schwarzenegger shared. “But at the same time, I have to say that, you know, we’re always innocent until proven guilty. So we will find out what the courts say in the future. But if the charges are right, I think then he’s going to be in deep trouble.”
When Wallace asked why he didn’t think Trump would get reelected, Schwarzenegger replied: “I just don’t think that you get reelected with 30% or 33% of the people voting for you in your polls. I think that’s — those are great poll numbers amongst conservatives. But I think if you put it all together, it’s not enough. You need the swing voters. You need the independents, you need everybody to jump in there in order to win. You have to drag a lot of people over across that line. And so the question is, can he do that? I believe he can’t.”
