Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is pushing back hard against Gov. Gavin Newsom’s defense of a proposed redistricting overhaul, branding the claim that the plan is only temporary as “total fantasy.”
In an interview on CNN’s State of the Union with Jake Tapper, Schwarzenegger argued that once government puts a “temporary” measure in place, it rarely goes away. “When they say this is temporary, there is no such thing. The longest programs are government programs that are temporary,” he said, adding that whether it’s taxes or redistricting, initiatives labeled short-term often become permanent.
His remarks came in response to Newsom promoting Proposition 50, a measure aimed at reshaping California’s congressional districts. Voting opened last week on the initiative, which backers say could boost Democrats by as many as five seats—a shift supporters argue could counter efforts by allies of former President Donald Trump in Texas and other states ahead of the 2026 election. Former President Barack Obama endorsed Prop 50 this week.
Schwarzenegger, a long-time critic of gerrymandering, warned that California’s promised return to an independent redistricting commission in 2032 will likely be delayed or discarded. He predicted that officials would point to continued gerrymandering elsewhere—such as in Texas, Ohio, and Florida—as justification to keep partisan map-drawing in place. “They will find an excuse. So therefore I don’t think it is temporary,” he said. “That’s total fantasy.”
Newsom, who has framed the measure as a response to Republican map manipulation in other states, has brushed off critics’ objections. “Spare me the moral high ground,” he said to opponents who argue Prop 50 undermines fair representation.
Schwarzenegger countered that Democrats should win by outperforming their opponents, not by engineering districts to lock in victories. “Competition creates performance,” he said, arguing that drawing lines to guarantee outcomes cheats voters. He described the push as a form of “cheating” that prioritizes partisan advantage over accountability: if politicians can secure seats regardless of how well they serve, the public loses.
While acknowledging that both parties view redistricting as a battle they must fight, Schwarzenegger insisted the larger cost falls on Americans who deserve fair elections. “If you want to really fight for democracy, why would you go in, destroy the Constitution in California, tear it up and redo it?” he asked, saying the effort doesn’t make sense if the goal is to strengthen democratic norms.
Schwarzenegger has taken his message to social media as well, sharing a gym photo in a T-shirt reading “terminate gerrymandering.” He told CNN that he and Newsom remain on friendly terms and have discussed the issue directly, emphasizing that their public statements have avoided personal attacks.
The debate reflects intensifying national fights over political maps, with Republican-led efforts in states like Texas fueled by Trump’s influence and Democrats in California weighing moves they say would counterbalance those strategies. Photos from recent events show Schwarzenegger speaking at a climate justice conference in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, on October 1, 2025, and Newsom promoting low-cost insulin through the CalRX program in Los Angeles on October 16, 2025—two appearances underscoring how both figures maintain high public profiles even as they clash over redistricting.
As the Prop 50 vote proceeds, the core dispute remains: Newsom’s allies argue that aggressive map changes are necessary to level the playing field, while Schwarzenegger and other critics warn that abandoning independent redistricting—even temporarily—sets a precedent that’s unlikely to be reversed and ultimately leaves voters shortchanged.
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