Arnold Schwarzenegger downplays Trump and backs Vatican initiative to 'terminate' global warming

By&nbspNICOLE WINFIELD&nbspwith&nbspAP

Published on 01/10/2025 - 9:46 GMT+2

Arnold Schwarzenegger downplayed nan Trump administration’s ambiance scepticism connected Tuesday and threw his weight down nan Vatican’s biology initiative, saying individual choice, section regulations and nan Catholic Church's civilized activity were acold much important to “terminate” world warming.

Schwarzenegger was astatine nan Vatican to header a three-day ambiance convention marking nan 10th day of Pope Francis’s landmark 2015 biology encyclical, Laudato Si (Praised Be).

The document, 1 of Francis' main legacies, formed redeeming God’s creation arsenic an urgent civilized imperative and launched a broad, grassroots activity that Pope Leo XIV has afloat embraced and made his own.

Schwarzenegger, nan erstwhile Republican politician of California, has devoted clip to biology causes since leaving governmental agency successful 2011.

His Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative is 1 of nan backers of nan Vatican conference, which is being held astatine nan Holy See’s newly inaugurated biology acquisition centre successful Castel Gandolfo, southbound of Rome.

'An easy measurement out'

At a news conference, Schwarzenegger was asked astir President Donald Trump’s caller comments to nan UN General Assembly, wherever he falsely said that ambiance alteration was a "con job".

Trump has agelong been a professional of ambiance subject and policies aimed astatine helping nan world modulation to greenish energies for illustration upwind and solar. His management has rolled backmost landmark regulations, withdrawn ambiance task backing and alternatively bolstered support for lipid and state accumulation successful nan sanction of an “American power dominance” agenda.

“Don’t usage nan national authorities arsenic an excuse,” Schwarzenegger told nan Vatican briefing. “It’s an easy measurement out.”

He recalled his ineligible battles pinch nan Bush management complete California’s biology regulations erstwhile he was governor, and a peculiar triumph wherever “we said ‘Hasta la vista, baby,’” Schwarzenegger said, quoting his celebrated statement from “Terminator 2.”

Schwarzenegger said acold much important were individual choices astir turning disconnected lights erstwhile you time off a room and authorities policies promoting star power.

With its 1.4 cardinal people, 400,000 priests, nan Catholic Church besides has a captious wide of group who tin backmost biology initiatives, he said.