Schwarzenegger debates Kimmel on what a 'traditional Republican' is — and you might not like his definition

Movie star and bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger has a few key tenets for what a true Republican is and says no one is going to change his philosophy.

The former politician also said that despite his party affiliation, there was one major issue that prevented him from being willing to endorse President Donald Trump in past elections.

'Yeah, I'm a Republican. Absolutely.'

Party animal

Appearing on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Schwarzenegger, who served two terms as a Republican governor of California, was remarking on his ability to work amicably with his predecessor, Democrat Gray Davis. He said that getting along with Davis at a charity event was a showcase for how "Democrats and Republicans can do something together and not hate each other."

This prompted Kimmel to ask if the action star was "still a Republican."

"Yeah, I'm a Republican. Absolutely."

Kimmel wanted to know exactly what that meant, implying that it was hard to tell what being a Republican stands for in the current political climate.

Schwarzenegger was not too shy to answer.

"Well, a traditional Republican is someone that admires the Republican Party for having freed the slaves," he began. "This is the history. This is what I'm about."

Giving slaves citizenship and the right to vote, to Kimmel, "sounds like all the opposite things that the Republican party stands for now," the host claimed.

Schwarzenegger didn't budge: "Yeah, but it doesn't mean that I have to change my philosophy."

Describing that philosophy of a mix between Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon, the former Mr. Olympia noted some of his preferred policy decisions that take the moniker of conservative quite literally. This included the creation of the California Air Resources Board and the Environmental Protection Agency.

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Muscle breach

Being an environmentalist Republican is what Schwarzenegger also said was the determining factor in his decision to not endorse President Trump in 2016.

The 79-year-old said that during a phone call, he told Trump that while he was willing to be his friend, then-candidate Trump's refusal to consider climate change as a key issue meant he couldn't back him.

"I said, 'You don't believe there is climate change. You don't believe [in] the threat of pollution,'" Schwarzenegger recalled.

"I said, 'I know. I've worked on that issue for so many years.'"

Trump's alleged response was that he "totally understand[s]" and had no ill will toward the bodybuilder.

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Randy Holmes/Disney/Getty Images

'Bogus' Barack?

Kimmel and Schwarzenegger did a lot of agreeing on the show, promoting unity between Republicans and Democrats despite Schwarzenegger's description of Kimmel as "much more liberal" than he is, with Kimmel saying they probably agreed on 85% of topics.

Schwarzenegger, however, was keen on the idea that no party working on its own can create proper policy, and this is why he was a great politician, because he willingly worked with Democrats.

Neither party "did true immigration reform. So we [are] still fighting over immigration," the "Governator" claimed.

"None of them participated in reducing our debt. None of them created a health care system where everyone is insured," he added.

While Kimmel argued that "one of them tried," likely referring to President Barack Obama, Schwarzenegger replied, "Bogus."

"If the Democrats do something by themselves or if the Republicans do something by themselves, it's bogus," Schwarzenegger concluded.

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