Before being elected as the Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger had a long way to go in terms of directing his political campaign. At that time, he was married to journalist Maria Shriver who belongs to the Kennedy family. Shriver, a Democrat at heart, gave up on her political affiliations to carry forth her husband’s ambitions. And this came in handy for the Hollywood heartthrob.

While he always credited his now ex-wife for being his pillar of strength through his stint as a governor, there were more poles of support. As an expert on the nuances of any candidate campaign, one of Schwarzenegger’s in-laws came to help him out. Now, years after his political candidature came to an end, the star reflected on his journey. How did the former bodybuilder initiate his political campaign and discover one of his biggest USPs – the environment? Let’s take a look!

Environmental awareness wasn’t on the agenda for Arnold Schwarzenegger

The Kennedys were well-acquainted with the drill. After all, almost all of them had either witnessed or experienced the chase for the office. Shriver herself had seen her father and uncles compete while watching her childhood pass through the spotlight. So, when Arnold chose this familiar path, she and her family chipped in.

Robert Kennedy Jr. heard about Schwarzenegger running for the position of Governor and wanted to help. Although Arnold and Maria’s family had opposing political views, the gesture meant a lot to the star.

Kennedy pointed out how the star needed to consider the environment as one of his key concerns. Up until then, environmental awareness was not one of Schwarzenegger’s worries. But Kennedy’s push led him in the right direction. Schwarzenegger elaborated on the details at an event at the AltaSea warehouse in LA.

Read More: “I Don’t Actually Give a Sh*t”: Arnold Schwarzenegger Sends Out a Bold Message on Climate Change to the World

Speaking to Fox News Digital, Schwarzenegger confessed, “To be very honest with you, I did not run for governor to protect the environment…I did not think about the environment when I ran for governor first”. But RFK Jr. stepped in and introduced the star to Terry Tamminen, who went on to become the secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency. And now, Schwarzenegger has multiple initiatives toward climate change action.

An event in Austria for a good cause

Recently, Schwarzenegger hosted a charity auction in Austria to raise funds against climate change. The star along with his current girlfriend Heather Milligan and daughter Christina held a fundraiser dinner and auctioned some unique items.

As a part of the Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative, the auction raised up to $292,000 and included contributions from stars like Sylvester Stallone, Lindsey Vonn, etc. While Schwarzenegger may not have started off with the thought, he has now caught on to a better purpose.

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