ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel welcomed actor and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to his Wednesday show for his seemingly annual tradition of asking if and why Schwarzenegger still considers himself to be a Republican. Schwarzenegger claimed he does and cited the GOP’s history of being the party that abolished slavery and gave former slaves the right to vote, but Kimmel claimed, “This sounds like all the opposite things that the Republican Party stands for now.”
Kimmel simply wondered, “That said, are you still a Republican?” After Schwarzenegger affirmed that he “absolutely” does, Kimmel added, “What does that even mean anymore?”
Schwarzenegger replied, “Well, a traditional Republican is someone that admires the Republican Party for having freed the slaves.”
After Arnold Schwarzenegger claimed he's still a Republican due to the party's history of "having freed the slaves" and "giving them the rights to vote," Jimmy Kimmel says "This sounds like all the opposite things that the Republican Party stands for now, though, doesn't it?" pic.twitter.com/rj0vGJSWVJ
— Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) November 12, 2026
Kimmel was almost offended by the answer, “Yeah, that was — they don't get credit for that anymore, come on now.”
Despite Kimmel’s protests, Schwarzenegger continued, “No, no, but this is the history. This is what I'm about. You know, that someone did — that has given the slaves American citizenship. And giving them the rights to vote.”
Kimmel then tried to claim, “This sounds like all the opposite things that the Republican Party stands for now, though, doesn't it?”
Schwarzenegger didn’t disagree, “Yeah, but it doesn't mean that I have to change my philosophy.”
If the GOP really stood for the kind of racism and voter suppression Kimmel thinks it stands for, then he would not be in the second week of celebrating Democrats’ midterm successes. Nevertheless, whenever Kimmel asks Schwarzenegger some form of this question or what his thoughts about politics are generally, Schwarzenegger routinely falls into the same response that laments Republicans and Democrats don’t come together to solve things liberals think are problems. To that end, Schwarzenegger claimed:
I have my philosophy, the Ronald Reagan philosophy, who created the Air Resources Board in California so that we can regulate our own air and reduce our greenhouse gases and pollution in California. It was done by Ronald Reagan, a Republican. Nixon created the EPA. Which was a Republican. He created the Environmental Protection Agency to protect the environment of water and the air. Those are the kind of Republicans that used to work together with the Democrats and get things done. This is the kind of Republican that I am.”
Kimmel mourned, “Right. Unfortunately, I think you're the only one of them left.”
Schwarzenegger would go on to add other liberal agenda items such as “comprehensive immigration reform” and a “health care system where everyone is insured” to his list of lamentations. Despite the strain such a system would have on the nation’s finance, Schwarzenegger also decried the lack of focus on the national debt.
Here is a transcript for the November 11 show:
ABC Jimmy Kimmel Live!
11/11/2026
11:58 PM ET
JIMMY KIMMEL: That said, are you still a Republican?
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER: Yeah, I'm a Republican, absolutely.
KIMMEL: What does that even mean anymore?
SCHWARZENEGGER: Well, a traditional Republican is someone that admires the Republican Party for having freed the slaves.
KIMMEL: Yeah, that was — they don't get credit for that anymore, come on now.
SCHWARZENEGGER: No, no, but this is the history. This is what I'm about.
KIMMEL: Yeah?
SCHWARZENEGGER: You know, that someone did — that has given the slaves American citizenship. And giving them the rights to vote.
KIMMEL: This sounds like all the opposite things that the Republican Party stands for now, though, doesn't it?
SCHWARZENEGGER: Yeah, but it doesn't mean that I have to change my philosophy.
KIMMEL: I see, that makes sense.
SCHWARZENEGGER: I have my philosophy, the Ronald Reagan philosophy, who created the Air Resources Board in California so that we can regulate our own air and reduce our greenhouse gases and pollution in California. It was done by Ronald Reagan, a Republican. Nixon created the EPA. Which was a Republican. He created the Environmental Protection Agency to protect the environment of water and the air. Those are the kind of Republicans that used to work together with the Democrats and get things done.
KIMMEL: Right.
SCHWARZENEGGER: This is the kind of Republican that I am.
KIMMEL: Right. Unfortunately, I think you're the only one of them left.
