An emotional video by former California Republican governor and Hollywood star Arnold Schwarzenegger, strongly condemning the violent riots in the United States Capitol, drew more than 24 million views on Twitter.
In the nearly eight-minute clip shared on Sunday, Schwarzenegger compared the pro-Trump crowd that broke into the Capitol building last Wednesday to Nazis in the 1930s.
“I grew up in Austria. I am very aware of Kristallnacht, or the Broken Glass Night,” he said. “It was a night of violence against the Jews in 1938 by the Nazi equivalent of the Proud Boys.”
“Wednesday was Broken Glass Day right here in the United States,” continued Schwarzenegger. “The broken glass was in the windows of the United States Capitol. But the crowd not only broke the windows of the Capitol; they destroyed the ideals that we considered to be guaranteed.”
“They didn’t just break the doors of the building that housed American democracy. They stepped on the very principles on which our country was founded. I grew up in the ruins of a country that has suffered the loss of its democracy, ”he said.
“I was born in 1947, two years after World War II. Growing up, I was surrounded by broken men drinking their guilt for their participation in the most wicked regime in history. Not all of them were anti-Semitic or angry Nazis, many just followed, step on the road.
On Sunday night, the video had 24.3 million views, over 870,000 likes and more than 330,000 retweets.
Schwarzenegger also blamed President Donald Trump for the attack on the Capitol, saying he “sought a coup by deceiving people with lies”.
“President Trump is a failed leader,” he said. “He will go down in history as the worst president of all time.”
His comments came days after crowds of Trump supporters flocked to the nation’s capital on Wednesday to demand that President-elect Joe Biden’s victory be overturned. Amid protests, a violent crowd illegally invaded the Capitol while lawmakers gathered to certify the election results.
Protesters climbed and destroyed barricades around the building and entered the scene, reaching the City Councils. Five people died in the attack, including a police officer.
A number of public figures praised Schwarzenegger for his powerful statement.
Former CIA director John Brennan tweeted, “Powerful and moving. A serious message that all Americans should applaud.”
“I have often found that immigrants appreciate America’s greatness better than many people born here. @Schwarzenegger message proves it again, “commented MSNBC host Joe Scarborough on Twitter.
Newsweek contacted the National Republican Committee for comment. This story will be updated with any answer.
Screenshot / Twitter