Former California governor and action movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger has a clear message for people who won't get vaccinated or wear a mask.
"You're a schmuck."
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In an interview with former National Security Council staffer Alexander Vindam and CNN's Bianna Golodryga, Schwarzenegger said he's disgusted with Americans who think their actions don't affect others.
"We have to come together rather than fighting and always just saying, 'According to my principles this is a free country and I'm going to have the freedom to wear no mask,'" he said. "Yeah, you have the freedom to wear no mask, but you know something? You're a schmuck for not wearing a mask."
The 74-year-old went on to say that a year-and-a-half after the coronavirus pandemic began, the U.S. is still "in a mess" and people are still living in denial that they could be responsible.
"I think people should know there is a virus here, it kills people. And the only way we prevent it is we get vaccinated, we wear masks, we do social distancing, washing your hands all of the time, and not just to think about, 'Well, my freedom is being kind of disturbed here," he continued. "No, screw your freedom. Because with freedom comes obligations and responsibilities. You cannot just say, 'I have the right to do x, y, and z,' when you affect other people. That is when it gets serious."
Schwarzenegger likened wearing a mask to stopping at a red light.
"They put the traffic light in the intersection so someone doesn't kill someone else by accident," he explained. "You cannot say, 'No one is going to tell me that I'm going to stop here... I'm going to go right through it.' Yeah, then you kill someone else, and then it is your doing. It is the same thing with the virus. You cannot go and not put the mask on because when you breathe you can infect someone else, and you can infect someone that then gets sick and may die."
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The Republican also touched on the amount of coronavirus misinformation out there, saying people should trust experts with years of experience.
"Look, I am an expert on how to build a bicep... there's no one that knows more about a bicep than I do because I studied this issue for 50 years," he said. "And the same is also with the virus. There are people out there that are experts that studied this year after year after year. The experience of Dr. [Anthony] Fauci that has, probably for his entire life, I mean, why would you not believe someone like that?"
About 71% of those 18 and older have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 61% are fully vaccinated, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC issued revised guidelines at the end of July, recommending that even fully vaccinated people in areas with "substantial or high" rates of transmission should go back to wearing masks indoors. The agency also recommended that everyone in K-12 schools wear masks.
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