Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke to Howard Stern in a Sirius XM interview that aired Thursday and said he believed he would have been successful as president.
The 76-year-old former Governor of California noted due to the fact that he was born in Austria, and not the U.S., becoming president was “the one thing” he has been unable to accomplish.
“I think that I would’ve made a great president,” Schwarzenegger told Stern.” I think that I have the energy and the will to bring people together.”
Stern immediately weighed in with his opinion on Schwarzenegger’s potential success rate in a presidential campaign.
“I think you would’ve won,” Stern said. He went on to ask Schwarzenegger if it was a “huge frustration” to him to know that this legal technicality stood in the way of him taking the top role in the country.
“It really wasn’t because I felt like everything I’ve accomplished in my life… 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,” Schwarzenegger said.
“So, why would I complain about the one thing I can’t do?”
Schwarzenegger went on to express confidence in his capabilities and success rate, had he been given the opportunity to become President.
“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 said.
Schwarzenegger said he has what it takes to fulfill the country’s biggest role. (RELATED: ‘This Is A Major Failure’: Arnold Schwarzenegger Reflects On Pain Caused By His Affair)
“The bottom line is, I’m 76 years old,” he said.
“I’m full of energy, I’m full of enthusiasm. I’m as enthusiastic and excited as I was when I was 40 years old,” Schwarzenegger told Stern.