Arnold Schwarzenegger Says Democrats Want To “Ruin” US Cities

Authored by Jack Phillips via The Epoch Times (Emphasis ours),

Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said in a recent interview that Democrats want to “ruin” American cities.

During an interview with actor Rob Lowe on his podcast, the former bodybuilder and “Terminator” star responded to a statement that the Republican Party wants “strong military, low taxes, less government, [and] more personal freedoms.”

Mr. Schwarzenegger, 76, chimed in by adding “strong law enforcement.”

When he was asked by Mr. Lowe what it means to be a Democrat, he responded: “Ruin your cities. That’s what the Democrats would say. We are about ruining the cities. We want to [expletive] up every city in America. That seems to be the theme right now.”

“Why is that?” Mr. Lowe asked.

“I have no idea,” he replied.

Although Mr. Schwarzenegger served as California governor as a Republican between 2003 and 2011, he became increasingly critical of GOP policies during former President Donald Trump’s tenure and also made a number of controversial statements during the COVID-19 pandemic. Notably, he criticized people for not wearing masks or getting COVID-19 vaccines, drawing pushback from conservative media and via social media.

“There is a virus here. It kills people. And the only way we prevent it is to get vaccinated, to wear masks, to do social distancing, washing your hands all the time, and not just to think about, ‘Well, my freedom is being disturbed here,'” he said in 2021, drawing condemnation. “No. Screw your freedom. With freedom comes obligations and responsibilities.”

Despite the comments, in a September interview with the New York Times, the former California governor insisted that believes he still has a home in the Republican Party.

“There is a home for me in the Republican Party. In the state of California, the Republican Party has done a horrible job to represent the people,” he claimed. “When you’re in the Legislature, you’re not supposed to represent only your district; you’re also supposed to represent the state and move the state forward and work with everyone in order to make life better.”

He then claimed that the “majority of Californians … want to get rid of fossil fuels,” which Republicans do not support. He did not cite evidence for his assertion.

But in a recent “View” appearance, he stated that the current U.S. immigration system is “set up to commit a crime,” while appearing to suggest that more work visas should be issued. He also cited concerns about drug cartels and terrorism for better border security.

“You have to really have comprehensive immigration reform, and you have to look at this immigration problem in a comprehensive way. You can, first of all, I believe very strongly in having a border that no one can get through. That’s number one for me,” he stated on “The View” earlier this year.

He added: “Number two, what is important is that we have visas available for people that want to work in the United States, so they don’t have to work illegally. It is bogus, we need the workers here,” he said, responding to co-host Ana Navarro.