Arnold Schwarzenegger has been mostly out of the limelight in the past years. He’s still a legendary actor and well-known for serving as governor of California, but he’s mainly just been living his own life.
America First conservatives don’t trust Schwarzenegger much because of his many criticisms of President Trump and his increasing slide to the left.
He made headlines for a dramatic, over-the-top video, following the January 6 protests in which he claimed it was an attempted violent coup to overthrow the government, similar to the German Nazis of World War Two.
Now, Schwarzenegger is out with another video addressed to the Russian people and their leader Vladimir Putin.
The ideological double-standards are pretty apparent @schwarzenegger… Russians protesting in the street, suffering the consequences of their actions, are heroes. Americans protesting in the street, suffering the consequences of their actions, are insurrectionists. https://t.co/KkkmKnPDni
— Viva Frei (@thevivafrei) March 18, 2022
Schwarzenegger’s New Video
In his new video on Thursday, produced by the slick marketing agency ATTN, Schwarzenegger starts by saying he loves the Russian people.
His hero growing up was a Russian bodybuilder called Yuri Vlasov. He’s always admired the “heart” of the Russian people and their culture, Schwarzenegger said.
Schwarzenegger aims the video at Russian soldiers and people who aren’t being told the truth about Ukraine. He lets them know about the “terrible things” happening in Ukraine.
Putin’s invasion of Ukraine kicked off on February 24. Since then, thousands of soldiers have died on both sides, along with a high number of innocent civilians.
Schwarzenegger: The World is ‘Outraged’
Schwarzenegger notes the world is “outraged” by Russia’s attack on Ukraine, including the bombing of hospitals and innocent people. He then brings up his own father, who fought with the Nazis during World War Two.
His dad fought the Russians at Leningrad. He saw and experienced horrible things that scarred him for life, leaving him physically and mentally broken, Schwarzenegger explained.
He begged Russian soldiers and people not to become like his dad and ended by begging Putin to end the unnecessary war.
I love the Russian people. That is why I have to tell you the truth. Please watch and share. pic.twitter.com/6gyVRhgpFV
— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) March 17, 2022
Video Going Viral in Russia
This video is going viral in Russia and being shared on some apps which aren’t blocked there yet, like Telegram. Here’s an honest look at Schwarzenegger’s clip.
The positives are that Schwarzenegger brings it down to a human level and tries to appeal to the humanity of those he’s speaking to.
He makes it clear he doesn’t hate them as human beings; he avoids name-calling Putin or calling him evil or Hitler like other western politicians have done.
Another positive is Schwarzenegger is still a fairly well-liked guy globally. Even though he’s lost the respect of most American conservatives, he still has huge name ID and admiration around the world, including in Russia, so this message will hit home.
The negatives are obvious: why does Schwarzenegger mention January 6? It’s really strange and ridiculous to mention a protest with a few selfies where supporters of President Trump got killed by the US government and compare it to a massive invasion.
Secondly, Schwarzenegger doesn’t mention anything about what led to the war. He says it’s all out of the blue, which many Russians will know is untrue.
