‘The most important statement of his lifetime’: Schwarzenegger soars in video comparing rioters to Nazis

01/11/2021 4:33 pm ET • Sabrina Matthews

Gage Skidmore / Flickr

You know him as Conan. You love him as the Terminator. Now Arnold Schwarzenegger takes to the tiny Twitter screen for what may be his most important role yet: Defender of Democracy.

In a measured voice, Schwarzenegger opens up about his personal experience growing up in post-Nazi Austria and delivers a hero’s pep talk to the nation.

And for those who “trampled the very principles on which our country was founded”? Hold them accountable.

Here he is:

My message to my fellow Americans and friends around the world following this week's attack on the Capitol. pic.twitter.com/blOy35LWJ5

— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) January 10, 2021

Schwarzenegger’s video immediately went viral and caught the attention of the duly elected next president of the US, Joe Biden. President-elect Biden called Arnold to give him an ‘attaboy.

It was fantastic to talk to President Elect @JoeBiden today about bringing the country back together. I’m here to help in any way I can.

— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) January 11, 2021

A hero’s welcome

ArtCoreStudios / Pixabay

For many Twitter users, this was just what we needed.

This is one of the most amazing speeches I have ever heard.

— Jo (@JoJoFromJerz) January 10, 2021

That touched my heart deeply. I still find hard you believe why the @GOP sold our nation’s soul to a madman. Why haven’t they fought to save our democracy & our constitution. It’s sad times in America’s history & history won’t be kind to those who enabled the devil.

— ✿♥ ƗŞŁΔŇĐ🏝ǤƗŘŁ ♥✿ 🇵🇷 (@IslandGirlPRV) January 10, 2021

Arnold dropping both knowledge and truth.. I, for one, hopes that he will be back..

— Guy Adami (@GuyAdami) January 10, 2021

Take note!

StockSnap / Pixabay

Let’s break it down.

Thank you for this important message, Governor Schwarzenegger.

What I learned from this inspiring video:

1. Never take America’s democracy for granted.
2. Always stand up for what’s right and against those who are wrong.
3. Let’s hold the insurrectionists accountable. pic.twitter.com/jfBQ9t2Hgo

— Russell Drew (@RussOnPolitics) January 10, 2021

Hey, Arnold Schwarzenegger is just trying to place us on the time line.

It ended with slaughtered souls. It started with broken glass. We'll actually before that. Hitler came in to power in 1933. It didn't happen overnight and the rise of fascism in America won't either, if we allow it to happen

— Blackcloud_9 (@ThomasH04764290) January 10, 2021

Not the only one

Screenshot / YouTube

Arnold Schwarzenegger is not the only person who drew this parallel.

My 90 yr old mother called me crying uncontrollably, she can not believe what has happened in her adopted country. She thought she would forever be safe here. Came over in 1951, from Germany. She was 7 yrs old when Kristallnacht occurred. I could not console her😢😢

— Iweyer (@Iweyer2) January 10, 2021

On Saturday morning, @nprscottsimon did a great (as usual) news broadcast and had two immigrants, one from Africa, one from Venezuela. Very powerful as they talked of their shock, and one personally witnessing it.

— Covfefe "ANTIFA SOUP BAG QUALITY CONTROL" LePew (@RinzenLhamo) January 11, 2021

Thinking of the parallels between Arnold @Schwarzenegger’s fireside chat and @madeleine Albright’s warnings against Fascism (2018, p.9). pic.twitter.com/AhwluHmblZ

— Dr Jennifer S. Hunt (@Dr_JenHunt) January 11, 2021

Twitter has Arnold Schwarzenegger’s back

Screenshot / YouTube

Maybe Trump’s insurrectionists are ready to go rip their Conan the Barbarian posters off of their bedroom walls.

Oh look! A Trumpet that thinks hes smart! What a surprise! pic.twitter.com/kn1OaMUGzA

— KenSch (@Sch_Ken_Sch) January 10, 2021

But plenty of people will be ripping down other posters to put Arnold up!

I’ve had a photo of Arnold on my office wall for years. My kid sister gave it to me for Christmas. He’s one of the most inspiring of people. With all his faults and human limitations, his drive and moral compass are to be aspired to.
Thank you.
P.s. can I get this autographed? pic.twitter.com/WyK2eLlsF2

— Arthur Sinclair (@ArtSinclair) January 11, 2021

Or on their chests.

Also get vaccinated. Grateful for all of the people from the developers, transporters, health care workers, government officials and others who helped get this thing off the ground. Wearing @Schwarzenegger COVID gear. “We’ll be back!” and yes I should “train” more! pic.twitter.com/uaXtb1f4PU

— Eiman Jahangir, MD, MPH (@EimanJahangir) January 10, 2021

Fans abound.

Full regalia version pic.twitter.com/YzgFWzDJZ1

— Diegg (@diegg78) January 10, 2021

The Governator

Source, Fair use / wikipedia.org

This window into Arnold Schwarzenegger’s life is winning over some new fans.

Love him or loathe him, Arnold has just made the most important statement of his lifetime and possibly the most salient analysis of our current situation on Social Media this week.
Congrats, Arnold, you have won Twitter for the week and gained at least one new follower!
🏆 pic.twitter.com/oJ5pEJU23L

— Reg Vickers (@RegVickers) January 10, 2021

Even among Californians who did not like him as a governor.

You were my governor and I wasn’t a huge fan. That changed today. Thank you, our nation so needed that. 🇺🇸

— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) January 11, 2021

The argument continues

Gerd Altmann / Pixabay

People who bought the lie of a stolen election double down on Arnold’s feed.

We counted the legitimate votes. The numbers you saw were after any illegitimate votes, of which there are historically very few, were not tallied.

The conspiracy theories that the stated numbers somehow include "illegal votes" are nothing but lies propagated by our enemies.

— Trumpists are Traitors (@erikthedev) January 11, 2021

Arnold Schwarzenegger calls for us “to put our democracy first,” but the “based” who want to tear down our democracy are still freebasing Trump’s rhetoric.

And some want to twist the pretzel logic even more. Uhm, did you even read 1984? (Or listen to what Schwarzenegger said?)

Arnie has the story exactly backwards. Nazis staged the attack as an excuse to persecute the Jews. This event is being used as an excuse to persecute Trump supporters. Arnie has gone full Orwell.

— Tony Heller (@Tony__Heller) January 10, 2021

Living in a fantasy

Stefan Keller / Pixabay

Arnold Schwarzenegger is not pretending to be Conan, or the T 800 (model 101). He’s just Arnold. Game of Thrones characters can’t touch him in the real world.

Mr. Schwarzenegger, if only our justice system were fair and impartial to allow Trump the opportunity to layout his case and provide evidence of election fraud, would set the tone in the right direction for half the country. But to use Hollywood, Big Tech to silence him, well…. pic.twitter.com/FAqzkzCZ0N

— Xeisenberg-XRP (@Majestic_XRP) January 11, 2021

Well, not just Arnold…

The sword bit is great precisely because you know thats pure Arnie.

Nobody else would have scripted that…

— Nick🇬🇧🇪🇺 (@nicktolhurst) January 10, 2021

And don’t forget about the “accountability”

Trump called for this riot, but he did not deliver his messages alone.

pic.twitter.com/AClqACPqJt

— WearADamnMask -10 days to Flush All Da TrumpTurds (@2021HasArrived) January 11, 2021

Accountability, from the top to the bottom of the barrel.

Hi this is the liberal lesbian of the family who has been kicked out multiple times for her views and for going to BLM protests to care what happens to me so:
Mom: Therese Duke
Uncle: Richard Lorenz
Aunt: Annie Lorenz pic.twitter.com/cuBAPJ3GJA

— Helena Duke (@duke_helena) January 7, 2021