Hollywood movie action hero and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says he would like conservative Democratic U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia to run for president.
NBC’s Kristen Welker asked Schwarzenegger on Sunday’s “Meet the Press” if there was any candidate in the 2024 presidential field that could “bring the type of leadership that’s needed right now.”
“You know, I think Joe Manchin is one of them that stands out because he is kind of like a center guy,” Schwarzenegger said. “He comes from an energy state, but he’s a Democrat. So he knows the challenges and all that. But he’s one of the guys that I think is really a great force.”
Although he has discussed mounting a presidential bid, Manchin isn’t on the ballot in any state.
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Race Will Come Down to Biden and Trump
Schwarzenegger also opined that no one other than President Joe Biden or former President Donald Trump has a legitimate chance to win the White House in 2024.
“The political system is set up in such a way right now that Trump is kind of like taking the air out of everything, you know, and Biden is doing it on the other side. And so it kind of like comes down to both of them running really for president.”
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Schwarzenegger’s 2024 Campaign Role
Schwarzenegger noted that if he were eligible to run for president, he would give it a whirl. However, he was born in Austria and thus can’t compete for the presidency.
“I would love to run for president. I would love to have the opportunity to do that and to show America that we can come together, and do the kind of things that Ronald Reagan did. But that’s not the case. … The reality is that I can be helpful to help other people.”
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