In an appearance at USC, former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger urged voters Monday to reject Prop. 50, the ballot initiative backed by Gov. Gavin Newsom and other Democrats that would allow the party to temporarily redraw the state's congressional maps.
The proposition championed by Newsom on the November ballot would override the state Constitution and establish new congressional district maps for the 2026 election. The maps would also be in effect in 2028 and 2030.
The California redistricting effort comes in response to a similar undertaking by Texas legislators. President Donald Trump called on Republican- led states to undertake mid-decade redistricting to redraw congressional district maps in a manner that would benefit Republicans ahead of the midterm elections.
"It is insane," the former Republican governor and action-movie star said of Prop. 50, which is intended to add five Democratic U.S. House seats in California to offset Trump's moves in Texas to gain five Republican districts before the midterms.
"It doesn't make any sense to me that because we have to fight Trump, to become Trump," Schwarzenegger said. "Two wrongs don't make a right."
Representatives for the campaigns opposing and advancing the proposition did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Prop. 50 would temporarily set aside districts crafted by an independent state commission and replace them with dramatically reshaped districts drafted by Democrats and designed to benefit the party's candidates.
"I hate to get political here, but this is not political," Schwarzenegger said Monday. "This is more about democracy. If you vote yes on that, we go backwards."
The ex-governor who played a robot in the "Terminator" film series and was frequently referred to as the "Governator" while he was in office, rejected the suggestion that the measure is being advanced in response to Trump's actions.
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"It has nothing to do with the federal government," he said, adding that Democrats are "trying to fight for democracy by getting rid of the democratic principles of California."
Newsom announced the ballot measure last month during an event in downtown Los Angeles.
Newsom stressed that the move would only be temporary, with the state returning to the independent redistricting process after the 2030 Census. He defended the move, saying it is essential to counter what he called a clear attempt to rig the 2026 midterm congressional elections -- noting that Trump called Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and told him to come up with five more GOP seats to ensure the party maintains a majority in the House.
"He's going to lose the midterms. He knows ... his presidency ends in 17 months," Newsom said. "He knows it. Why else would he try to rig the system? Why else would you make the phone call?"
He added, "These guys are not playing by any set of rules."
Newsom also urged other Democrat-majority states to also redraw their district lines to counter the GOP effort.
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