**Arnold Schwarzenegger Privately Exploring 2028 Presidential Run Despite Constitutional Barriers**
*Published September 19, 2025, 6:45 p.m. ET*
Arnold Schwarzenegger is privately exploring ways to run for the U.S. presidency, despite constitutional barriers, in what allies describe as a desperate attempt to stop Donald Trump and “restore democracy,” RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The 78-year-old Terminator star and former Republican governor of California has become increasingly vocal about his fears for America’s future following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, 31, in Utah.
**President Schwarzenegger?**
Friends of Schwarzenegger say the murder has sharpened his determination to confront political violence and address the deep divisions tearing the country apart — divisions he blames on both parties, the media, and Trump himself.
Speaking at the University of Southern California, Schwarzenegger warned:
*”We have to be very careful that we don’t get closer to the cliff. Because when you fall down that cliff, down there, there is no democracy. We have to be very, very careful. I think it’s very important that we turn this around and that we show people power. Because the people can turn this around, the people have the ultimate power.”*
One longtime Republican strategist revealed:
*”Arnold has been telling people close to him that he can’t just sit back and watch Trump bulldoze democracy. He knows the Constitution bars him from running for the presidency, but he’s desperate to find a path — whether that’s lobbying for reform or using his star power to rally voters against Trump.”*
**Reflecting on Charlie Kirk’s Death**
Schwarzenegger described Kirk’s death as “unbelievable” and a chilling sign of how far the nation has fallen.
*”I was very, very upset that someone’s life was taken because they have a different opinion,”* he said.
*”This was a great communicator, a great advocate for the right, for Republican causes. He had such a great way of communicating with the students who agreed or disagreed with him. And he was a great father, a great husband. I was thinking about his children. They will only be reading about him now, instead of him reading to them bedtime stories.”*
The gunman suspect, Tyler Robinson, 22, has been charged with aggravated murder. Schwarzenegger linked the killing to toxic divisions fueled online and in politics.
**Blaming Social Media, Media, and Politics**
*”We have to acknowledge that the cause of all this is the social media companies that are dividing us, the mainstream media companies that are dividing us. The political parties: the Democrats that are dividing us, the Republicans that are dividing us,”* Schwarzenegger added.
*”We’re getting hit from so many different angles, and we have to be very careful that we don’t get closer to that cliff.”*
**Trump’s Response to Rising Tensions**
Donald Trump, 79, dismissed concerns about rising tensions in the wake of Kirk’s killing during an appearance on *Fox & Friends*, stating:
*”I tell you something that is going to get me in trouble, but I couldn’t care less. The radicals on the right are radical because they don’t want to see crime. The radicals on the left are the problem – and they are vicious and horrible and politically savvy. They want men in women’s sports, they want transgender for everyone, they want open borders – the worst thing that happened to this country.”*
**Would Schwarzenegger Win?**
Austrian-born Schwarzenegger, who previously told CNN’s Chris Wallace in 2023 he could “so clearly” win the presidency if allowed to run, remains ineligible due to the Constitution’s natural-born citizen clause. But advisers insist this has not stopped him from floating the idea.
A former aide shared:
*”He feels uniquely qualified to bring Americans together at a time when it’s all about who you vote against rather than who you vote for. He’s been telling people, ‘If I can’t run, then maybe I can at least inspire someone else who can beat Trump.'”*
Though Schwarzenegger insists he is “not worried” about Trump ultimately prevailing, he has been clear about the stakes. Speaking to Wallace, he said:
*”Look, it’s a no-brainer. I see so clearly how I could win that election.”*
https://radaronline.com/p/arnold-schwarzenegger-desperate-to-run-for-president-democracy-trump/