The Terminator and the President of the United States are fighting again.
On Thursday morning, Donald Trump took aim at Arnold Schwarzenegger, the movie star, former California governor, and current host of “The New Celebrity Apprentice,” the show Trump made famous as “The Apprentice.”
“The ratings went right down the tubes. It has been a disaster,” Trump said, not his first shot at the TV show that carries his name as executive producer and will pay him a reported $7.4 million for its current season, per a Forbes estimate. “I want to just pray for Arnold … for those ratings.”
Ratings have indeed suffered under Schwarzenegger’s watch, with its season premiere down 43 percent from the show’s previous, Trump-starring premiere in 2015.
The National Prayer Breakfast? pic.twitter.com/KYUqEZbJIE
— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) February 2, 2017
But Schwarzenegger was quick to respond to the barb, releasing a video on Twitter with the comment, “The National Prayer Breakfast?”
“Hey Donald. I have a great idea. Why don’t we switch jobs?” he said. “You take over TV, cause you’re such an expert in ratings. And I take over your job, so that people can finally sleep comfortably again.”
He didn’t stop there, releasing a statement to the press shortly thereafter.
“Arnold is praying that President Trump can start improving his own approval ratings, which were the worst in history for an incoming President, by taking his job seriously and working inclusively,” the statement said.
However, some wondered if the war of words was being staged to lift that low-energy viewership.
“This is a fake feud staged for ratings,” wrote @RockandLedge, a Twitter account about two children.
.@NBCNightlyNews This is a fake feud staged for ratings. Trump is Executive Producer & benefits directly from Apprentice. THIS is fake news.
— David and Josh (@RockandLedge) February 2, 2017
“The Apprentice” creator Mark Burnett introduced Trump at the breakfast, and has yet to comment on whether or not President Trump is participating in a PR stunt for his TV show, which airs Monday nights on NBC.
— David Greenwald
dgreenwald@oregonian.com
503-294-7625; @davidegreenwald
Instagram: Oregonianmusic
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