Arnold Schwarzenegger Thinks He Would Have Been a Great President: 'I Have the Energy'

Speaking to Howard Stern, the 76-year-old former California governor said that running for president is "the one thing" he can't do

While Arnold Schwarzenegger isn't eligible to run for president, he says that he still has "the energy" to do the job.

Speaking to Howard Stern in an interview that aired Thursday, the 76-year-old former California governor noted that, due to being born in Austria, running for president is "the one thing" he can't do.

“It really wasn’t because I felt like everything I’ve accomplished in my life—[the] bodybuilding career, the movie career, becoming Governor, setting up my Schwarzenegger Institute, all this stuff, the millions of dollars I made and everything—it’s all because of America,” he said. “So, why would I complain about the one thing I can’t do?”

Related: Arnold Schwarzenegger Opens Up About Life, Family and Work Now: 'I Feel Good Where I Am' (Exclusive)

Even so, Schwarzenegger remains confident he could’ve done the job well. “I think that I would’ve made a great president. I think that I have the energy and the will to bring people together,” he said.

Stern took things a step further. “I think you would’ve won,” he told his guest.

“You think about it and you’re absolutely right because so many people come up to me and go, ‘Oh, I wish you could be our president,’” Schwarzenegger agreed before explaining he’s still deeply committed to bringing people together, saving the environment, and protecting democracy. “There are so many people out there in America who need help, so I think we should all concentrate on that … and not just think about ourselves.”

And while age has been a hot topic of conversation amongst voters leading into the 2024 election, Schwarzenegger said elsewhere in the conversation that, at 76 years old, he's still "full of energy."

"The bottom line is, I’m 76 years old," Schwarzenegger, who recently authored the  motivational book Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life, told Stern. "I’m full of energy, I’m full of enthusiasm. I’m as enthusiastic and excited as I was when I’m 40 years old."

Related: Arnold Schwarzenegger Opens Up About Life, Family and Work Now: 'I Feel Good Where I Am' (Exclusive)

Schwarzenegger continued: "I just always see mountains in front of me to be climbed. And so, as long as I see those mountains, I keep my enthusiasm and I keep my excitement and the fire in my belly to keep climbing and climbing and climbing."

Schwarzenegger, a Republican, has been a staunch critic of former President Donald Trump, who was recently indicted on federal charges and who is widely expected to be the Republican nominee in 2024.

In 2021, Schwarzenegger called Trump "the worst president ever," comparing the Capitol riots to something that would happen in Nazi Germany.

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