Arnold Schwarzenegger isn’t sure California Gov. Gavin Newsom will be back.
Newsom is on the precipice of a recall election similar to the 2003 contest that fueled Schwarzenegger’s rise to power, the former governor said.
“It’s pretty much the same atmosphere today as it was then. There was dissatisfaction, to the highest level [in political leadership],” he told Politico. “People are working very hard. People are making unbelievable sacrifices every day. … And you feel like, ‘Wait a minute, but Sacramento doesn’t really do everything for us that they promised they’ll do. We are working hard, but they’re not. They’re failing us every day.’ That’s what I see as the similarities from 2003. It’s the same vibe.”
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Schwarzenegger, who dismissed the notion that there’s “a far right element to this recall” when asked, rejected Newsom’s contention that the potential recall was driven by “a partisan, Republican coalition of national Republicans, anti-vaxxers, Q-Anon conspiracy theorists and anti-immigrant Trump supporters,” saying that the Republican Party wields little power in the Golden State.
“The Republican Party is, like I have said, dying at the box office,” he said. “This is the crazy thing here, when they say it’s a ‘power grab’ of the Republicans. Let me tell you: The [California] Republicans couldn’t even get anyone elected. It’s ludicrous; the Republican Party doesn’t exist. These are the signatures of the ordinary folks that have signed on.”
The actor-turned-politician praised Newsom, who he said is treating the recall effort with the appropriate level of seriousness.
“Newsom is doing something very smart, and that is that he is engaged now. The people have already succeeded with that, even if there’s no recall, because he now has gotten out of Sacramento. He is traveling around the state, is being seen everywhere, is involved and engaged with the vaccine, [and] is involved with education. … He’s handling this situation really well. That is already a victory,” Schwarzenegger said.
When asked what advice he had for the embattled incumbent, Schwarzenegger said that Newsom should treat the recall as “a valve” for constituents’ frustrations.
“People have to have a way to let out their anger, and this recall is a way to let out their anger. So, now, it’s up to him to say, ‘Now, wait a minute. OK, maybe I was slow at the wheel in the beginning, but I promise you, this is the kind of governor I will be,’ and then he is going to go and now jump into more action,” he said, adding that the governor has done a “good job” in “improv[ing] his connection with the people” since the recall effort began.
Newsom said that he’s “worried” about the recall effort’s momentum during the final days of the campaign.
“Am I worried about it? Of course, I’m worried about it,” Newsom told ABC’s The View during an interview on March 16. “It’s vexing, so we’re taking it seriously.”
Those attempting to recall Newsom appear to have surpassed the 1.5 million signatures needed to qualify for the ballot. More than 80% of the signatures collected have been validated, and organizers of the campaign said that more than 2 million signatures would be submitted to county elections officials.
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Schwarzenegger served as California’s governor from 2003 to 2011 after successfully ousting incumbent Gov. Gray Davis. Though a Republican, he has been unafraid to critique his own party, trading barbs with former President Donald Trump.
A potential recall contest would be held in the fall and would mark only the second special election in state history after the 2003 race.
