INTERVIEW: Pro-Trump Actor Antonio Sabato Jr. Runs for Congress
Cassandra Fairbanks
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Antonio Sabato Jr. has announced that he will run for Congress in California’s 26th District, after being inspired by President Donald Trump’s successful campaign.
https://twitter.com/antoniosabatojr/status/822243599081410560
Sabato Jr. starred on General Hospital and Melrose Place, competed on Dancing With the Stars — and had an absolutely unforgettable modeling campaign for Calvin Klein in the 1990s.
He also spoke in support of Trump at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland last summer.
When asked for comment about his decision to run, Sabato Jr. told Big League Politics that he “shares the frustration many voters across the political spectrum who believe the government has failed them.”
Aside from his work in the entertainment industry, Sabato Jr. noted that he has spent his entire adult life raising a family, running successful small businesses and giving back to his community.
The district was historically Republican, but went to Rep. Julia Brownley, a Democrat, in 2012. The change in party support was due to redistricting, which changed the borders of the district and the makeup of the population. Current registration in the district is 42.6% Democratic, 30.4% Republican, Variety reports.
“Julia Brownley has been a professional politician most of her career and she has nothing to show for it,” Sabato Jr. told BLP.
Issues that Sabato Jr. said he is very passionate about addressing include meaningful changes to meet the needs of our veterans, pursuing results oriented solutions for substance abuse, and comprehensive immigration reform.
During his speech at the RNC, Sabato Jr. stated that Trump shared his beliefs to get the country back on track, which is why he endorsed him despite having kept his political beliefs private for so long.
“In the past eight years, failed policies have caused our country to deteriorate — our rights have been trampled and our security threatened. We are weaker by almost every measure. We are on the wrong path. It is clear even to someone who was not even born here,” Sabato Jr. said at the RNC of the Obama administration.
Sabato Jr. immigrated to the United States — legally — from Rome, Italy, in 1985.
“I followed all the rules and finally became a naturalized citizen in 1996. Others who want to come to the US to live and work should follow the same rules. We are a nation of laws for a reason — there should be no shortcuts to those who do not want to pay or wait,” he added.
From the Czech Republic, Sabato Jr.’s mother had lived under Communist rule. In his speech, he explained that he knows what socialism looks like, and it isn’t something that he wants his children to have to go through.
“Having secure borders, protecting our citizens — none of this is hateful — it is the responsibility of the government, and it is the right thing to do,” he continued.
Following his speech endorsing Trump, Sabato Jr. said that he was dropped from several Hollywood projects that he had lined up prior to the event.
Sabato Jr. told Big League Politics that he “looks forward to sharing his vision with the voters of California’s 26th Congressional District.”
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