Sponsored

Schwarzenegger Slams Newsom’s ‘Fantasy’ Redistricting Plan

By No Comments
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Photo Credit: "Arnold Schwarzenegger" by Gage Skidmore is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/?ref=openverse.

Former California Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger blasted current state Gov. Gavin Newsom’s push for Proposition 50, saying his plan to redraw congressional districts is a “total fantasy.”

During an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union, Schwarzenegger scoffed at Newsom’s claim that the proposed redistricting effort would be temporary.

“I think when he — when they say this is temporary, there is no such thing,” he said. “I mean, the longest programs are government programs that are temporary.”

“Okay, just remember that if this is a tax program or if it is the redistricting program, anything that is temporary with government is permanent,” he pointed out.

The former Republican governor, who has long criticized partisan gerrymandering, warned that the so-called temporary plan would almost certainly become a lasting advantage for Democrats.

Proposition 50 aims to redraw multiple congressional districts across California, potentially giving Democrats as many as five additional seats in Congress.

The proposal, backed by former President Barack Obama, could serve as a counter to President Donald Trump’s redistricting moves in Republican-led states like Texas.

Schwarzenegger predicted that even when the measure’s supposed expiration date arrives in 2032, lawmakers will find an excuse to extend it.

“In the year 2032 when the independent redistricting commission is supposed to come back, they’re going to say, ‘Wait a minute. There’s still gerrymandering going on in Texas. There’s still gerrymandering going on in Ohio. There’s still gerrymandering going on in Florida. We have to continue with gerrymandering,’” he pointed out.

He warned that California Democrats “will find an excuse. So therefore I don’t think it is temporary. So that’s total fantasy.”

The “Terminator” star accused Democrats of manipulating district boundaries to entrench their power instead of earning votes through genuine performance.

“What the Democrats should do is they should outperform Trump,” Schwarzenegger suggested. “To me, it’s all about competition creates performance.”

“And so what they do is with the redistricting commission is that they’re going to go and try to draw the district lines in such a way that they get voted in, no matter if they work well or not for the American people,” he added.

“So the American people get cheated on this whole thing. That is really the problem here.”

Schwarzenegger, who served as governor from 2003 to 2011, said the fight over redistricting has turned into a battle between parties, leaving voters caught in the middle.

“I think that if you want to really fight for democracy, why would you go in, destroy the Constitution in California, tear it up and redo it, do the whole thing? So to me, it just doesn’t make any sense at all,” he continued.

Newsom brushed off the criticism, telling his detractors, “Spare me the moral high ground.”

The California governor has continued to defend his plan, portraying it as a necessary counterbalance to what he claims are partisan tactics by Republicans in other states.

Speaking to CBS News Sunday Morning, Newsom also addressed growing speculation about his political future, admitting he’s considering a 2028 presidential run once the 2026 midterm elections conclude.

“Yeah, I’d be lying otherwise,” Newsom said when asked about the possibility. “I’d just be lying. And I’m not – I can’t do that.”

His term as governor ends in January 2027, and California’s term limits prevent him from running again. Still, he noted, “Fate will determine that.”

The Democratic governor has frequently positioned himself as one of President Trump’s most vocal critics, using both social media and policy initiatives to challenge the administration.

Proposition 50, in particular, has drawn attention as Newsom’s effort to shore up Democratic power in Congress ahead of the 2026 elections.

During a CBS interview earlier this year, Newsom downplayed questions about 2028, saying, “I have no idea.”

He reflected on his early struggles with dyslexia and a modest upbringing, saying, “The idea that a guy who got 960 on his SAT, that still struggles to read scripts, that was always in the back of the classroom, the idea that you would even throw that out is, in and of itself, extraordinary.”

He added at the time, “Who the hell knows? I’m looking forward to who presents themselves in 2028 and who meets that moment. And that’s the question for the American people.”

During a recent appearance on the All The Smoke podcast, Newsom spoke about growing up with a single mother after his parents’ divorce.

“My mom was 19, pregnant and divorced a few years later, with two kids,” he recalled. “Came from no money and just hustled. You know, worked hard, grinding every single day. Two and a half jobs, no bulls—.”

He described a childhood marked by financial struggle. “We had roommates all the time because she couldn’t afford the rent,” he claimed. “It was also about paying the bills, man.”

“It was just like hustling and and so I was out there, kind of raising myself, turning on the TV, just getting obsessed. I was sitting there with the Wonder Bread…the macaroni and cheese.”

However, critics have noted that Newsom’s father, William Newsom, was a well-connected judge and attorney who managed assets for the Getty family, casting doubt on his portrayal of a hard-knock upbringing.

Later in the podcast, the California governor took aim at President Trump’s immigration policies, particularly the administration’s increased deportation efforts.

“We talk about authoritarianism, and people say, ‘What do you feel here?’ For guys like me, maybe not yet,” he said. “But for the black and brown community, are you kidding me?”

He accused immigration agents of creating fear in immigrant neighborhoods, claiming they “jump out the back of U-haul [trucks]” and target people “without identifying themselves.”

He said those actions have left families terrified to go about their daily lives, alleging, “That’s America in 2025 — Donald Trump. Terror on the streets of America.”

Newsom alleged that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have engaged in violent tactics, saying they “attack people who are naked and sleeping, and literally put guns to their heads and zip-tie them” before forcing them out of their homes.

He claimed that these actions are “happening in America right now today” and that Los Angeles was “the first city that was terrorized” by such federal operations.

Last  weekend, the DHS social media account shared a photo of a protester in a giant costume at a “No Kings” rally holding a sign that read, “Deport Deez Nuts.”

The caption read, “Breaking: Gavin Newsom has shown up to the riot!” The California governor fired back online, calling the agency “an embarrassment.”

Leave A Reply