Arnold Schwarzenegger urges Americans to get the COVID-19 vaccine: 'We all need a civics lesson'

Arnold Schwarzenegger speaks at the Austrian World Summit in Vienna, Austria on July 1, 2021.
Lisa Leutner/AP

The former California governor wrote in The Atlantic urging Americans to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Schwarzenegger went viral Thursday after saying "screw your freedom" during a virtual event.
The former "Terminator" star also said he 'can't stand' when people compare public health orders to fascism.
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Arnold Schwarzenegger, the "Terminator" star and former California governor, is the latest Republican speaking up about the need to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Writing in The Atlantic, Schwarzenegger uses his experience as an immigrant to talk about why he believes Americans have a duty to get vaccinated. "We all need a civics lesson. I can't help but wonder how much better off we'd be if Americans took a step back from politics and spent a minute thinking about how lucky we are to call this country home," he wrote.

Schwarzenegger's op-ed comes a day after a clip of the former governor saying "screw your freedom" went viral. He made the comments during a virtual event alongside Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman -- a former NSC official and a central figure in former President Trump's first impeachment -- to promote Vindman's new book, "Here, Right Matters."

-The Hill (@thehill) August 12, 2021

"Screw your freedom, because with freedom comes obligations and responsibilities," he said in the video.

In Schwarzenegger's op-ed, he also took aim at those that compare public health interventions to fascism.

"When people call this fascism, I can't stand it. Just a few generations ago, this country stood up to real fascism. (And yes, I know that my father was on the wrong side of that conflict.) And we didn't win just because of our love of freedom. We won because Americans came together and did their duty," he said. Schwarzenegger's father, Gustav, was a member of the Nazi party.

"I knew I'd be called a RINO, but that doesn't bother me. Honestly, rhinos are beautiful, powerful animals, so I take that as a compliment. I anticipated being called a Nazi and a Communist. But I've got thick skin stretched over my metal endoskeleton, so I knew I could take it," he wrote.

In the days following the January 6th assault on the US Capitol, Schwarzenegger released a video comparing the event to Kristallnacht while brandishing a sword that he likened to democracy itself.