“A True Loss to America”: President Biden and Sen. Patty Murray Join Arnold Schwarzenegger in Mourning the Devastating Loss of 90-Year-Old Icon

76-year-old Arnold Schwarzenegger has lost many of his mentors and friends over the years. Arnie lost his best friend and fellow bodybuilding legend, Franco Columbu, in 2019. Earlier this year, the five-time Mr. Univers lost his first bodybuilding and weightlifting mentor, Kurt Marnnul. Now, another person the fitness icon looked up to has passed.

On September 29, California Senator Dianne Feinstein passed away. She was a veteran politician who served as a California senator from 1992 until she died. Feinstein’s health had been declining for the last few months. She fell inside her home in August, but the fall was minor, and she was discharged from the hospital. The longest-serving female US senator in history died of natural causes on Friday morning. Arnold Schwarzenegger wrote a heartfelt tribute to the late senator. President Joe Biden and Senator Patty Murray joined the 76-year-old in mourning the 90-year-old American politician.

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Dianne Feinstein stood for a common cause

The Terminator actor entered politics in 2003. The action cinema legend won the 2003 recall election to become the Governor of California. Arnie served two terms as the Republican governor of the state and met Dianne Feinstein in Congress. “Senator Feinstein was a pioneer and a powerhouse,” Schwarzenegger wrote in his post. Despite being a member of the opposition, Arnie respected Feinstein.

“She had a huge heart – every time I visited Congress to defend after-school programs, she was there to stand up for our kids,” wrote the bodybuilding icon. The Austrian Oak is a believer in after-school programs and founded After-School All-Stars. Despite their differences in political ideology, Feinstein supported Schwarzenegger in his cause.

“We came from different sides of the aisle, but we always stood together for California,” wrote Arnie. President Joe Biden also joined the former governor of California in mourning Senator Feinstein. President Biden also wrote that Dianne Feinstein “was a pioneering American. A true trailblazer.” The POTUS and Feinstein served together for 15 years, and Biden mourned the loss of a “role model” for women and a “cherished friend.”

Washington Senator Patty Murray also penned a heartfelt note to her colleague. She said the 90-year-old’s passing was a “True loss to America… We depended on her—and when Dianne spoke, the rest of us stopped and listened.” Senator Feinstein’s loss was a devastating blow to the entire nation. Throughout Feinstein’s long political career, she made significant contributions to gun control, health care, international relations with Iran and Israel, and more. Unfortunately for Arnold Schwarzenegger, Feinstein’s passing came shortly after another woman he looked up to.

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The tragic passing of another pioneer

While Dianne Feinstein was a trailblazer for women in politics, Lisa Lyon was a women’s bodybuilding pioneer. Lisa Lyon rose to prominence in the late 1970s as a bodybuilder and fitness model. However, she took her craft to new heights when she won the first IFFB Women’s World Pro Bodybuilding Championship in 1979.

Earlier this month, TMZ reported that the 70-year-old was grappling with cancer. TMZ learned that Lyon was losing her battle with cancer and was in hospice care. A few days later, news broke that the bodybuilding pioneer had passed.

Despite belonging to different political parties, Arnold Schwarzenegger respected Dianne Feinstein. Arnie, along with countless Americans, is mourning her passing.

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