Arnold Schwarzenegger is known for being the jack of all trades. While marking history with his all-time favorite Terminator franchise, the legend also set his footprint in politics as the California governor from 2003 to 2011. But luck was not in favor of his far-ranging decisions. In his term as the governor, some of his reforms backfired Schwarzenegger real badly. What mattered more was he could have prevented those if had considered his then-wife’s opinion. But what was the reform? And what did his ex-wife say?

Bringing back one of his interviews from 2008, while he was still serving as the Governor, here is where Arnold offered a window into a mistake he made. He talked about how he could have prevented a political catastrophe had he listened to his ex-wife. The then-governor also expressed how he then wanted to fix it, but only if he was the Terminator in real life. 

What did Arnold Schwarzenegger regret in his ruling days?

In one of his infrequent press conferences in the month of March 2008, Schwarzenegger confessed that he regrets holding his special election. He confessed his then-wife, Maria Shriver, had warned him of the consequences of his decisions. “I should have listened to my wife who said ‘don’t do it,’” he added. Speaking of the same, the Terminator star confessed that if he ever makes the next movie, he would go back in time and ask himself not to hold the special election. 

For context, back in 2005, in the heat of the moment, Schwarzenegger challenged the legislature with two options. It was either they reform the government or face the same challenge in the form of ballot initiatives. To his misfortune, the voters rejected all the right reforms he had called to advance the government. It came as a big failure in what he called his “year of reform.” 

His decisions had a genuine intention of helping the people of California and solving their problems. Nevertheless, the voters were not in accord with his mindset. He resigned from the post of the governor after the termination of his tenure in 2011.

Lately, Schwarzenegger has been a strong Kremlin critic and environmentalist. Sharing his message to the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, about the ongoing dreadful war between Russia and Ukraine, he asked him to stop the war through his social media handles.

What are your thoughts on Schwarzenegger’s past mistake? Do you think going back in time would help? Share in the comments below.