Former California Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger talked about his visit to Auschwitz during an interview on Sunday as he addressed his father being a Nazi.
“Auschwitz was a real mind-blower, I tell you, because it’s always one thing when you hear about it, when you read about it, but it’s never the same as when you’re actually there and then, all of a sudden, you see the realities of it, of where the people were shot every day, the wall with the target,” Schwarzenegger told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union.
“They were shot there. You look at the rooms where the suitcases are lying around of people that were told, make sure that exactly where you put your shoes and where you put your suitcase and your belongings, so, after the shower, you can find them right away, because we very quickly put you back on the train and take you back where you came from,” Schwarzenegger said. “Only, then they never came out of the showers because these were gas chambers. And so, when you see this stuff, it has such a profound impact that you totally understand why they say the slogan ‘Never again,’ because this should never, ever happen again.”
Schwarzenegger then addressed the fact that his father, Gustav Schwarzenegger, was involved with the Nazi Party and fought for the Nazis during World War II.
“None of it was ever spoken about when I grew up,” Schwarzenegger’s said. “There was no one that ever talked about the war. I learned everything about the history in America.”
“My father was like so many other millions of men who were sucked into a hate system through lies and deceits,” he said. “And so we have seen where that leads. I mean, let’s just go and get along. And love is more powerful than hate.”
WATCH:
Arnold Schwarzenegger addresses his father being a Nazi: “My father was, and so many other millions of men were, sucked into a hate system through lies and deceit. And so, we have seen where that leads.” pic.twitter.com/wIzqUMR1AC
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) April 30, 2023