Arnold Schwarzenegger has hit out at US President Donald Trump for continuing the "charade" of attempting to overturn the election, calling it "stupid, crazy, and evil".
The 73-year-old actor and former Republican governor of California unleashed his thoughts in an opinion piece for The Economist, published on Tuesday.
It comes ahead of Congress certifying the US election results on January 6, where Republicans are expected to challenge the results, although none of them are expected to succeed.
In the piece Schwarzenegger, who grew up in Austria, said that the United States "was my first love", but now he finds himself "deeply concerned" about the country.
"As an immigrant, as an American and as a Republican, it is my duty to speak up," he wrote.
"I grew up in the ruins of a country that gave up on democracy and faced the consequences. You may think I'm being overly sensitive about this - but when you've lived through the aftermath as I did, trust me, you worry."
He also condemned Trump's attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 US election, which was won by Democrat Joe Biden in November.
"President Donald Trump's actions to destroy faith in our elections and throw centuries of American principles out the window must be met with universal condemnation from all political leaders, regardless of party," Schwarzenegger wrote for The Economist.
"There is no question about who won the presidential election and continuing this charade is stupid, crazy, and evil."
He commented on Trump's latest scandal involving Brad Raffensperger, the top election official in battleground state Georgia, which in 2020 was won by a Democrat (Biden) for the first time since 1996.
According to a call recording obtained by the Washington Post this week, Trump tried to threaten Raffensperger to "find" enough votes to overturn his defeat in the southern state.
"President Trump's request in a leaked phone recording to Georgia's secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, to 'find 11,780 votes' is a low point in American history," Schwarzenegger said.
"If I hadn't already given Mr Raffensperger a Democracy Action Hero award last month - which my institute at the University of Southern California hands out to recognise officials who protect American values - I'd be scrambling to honour him now.
"He is a true hero for standing up to this un-American bullshit."
Trump has previously called Schwarzenegger a "great friend" on an episode of The Celebrity Apprentice in 2007, which Schwarzenegger went on to host, People reported.
The US President went on to donate to Schwarzenegger's campaign for governor, although their relationship soured when Trump ran for President in 2016 when Schwarzenegger called on Republican supporters to "choose your country over your party" and vote for Hillary Clinton.
