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| Schwarzenegger to Trump: ‘Why Don’t We Switch Jobs?’ | Schwarzenegger to Trump: ‘Why Don’t We Switch Jobs?’ |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| President Trump and Arnold Schwarzenegger were embroiled in a long-distance feud on Thursday after the president used a prayer breakfast speech to taunt the action star about his reality show ratings, and Mr. Schwarzenegger fired back in a video posted on Twitter. | President Trump and Arnold Schwarzenegger were embroiled in a long-distance feud on Thursday after the president used a prayer breakfast speech to taunt the action star about his reality show ratings, and Mr. Schwarzenegger fired back in a video posted on Twitter. |
| To be clear, this is actually happening. | To be clear, this is actually happening. |
| The fireworks began on Thursday morning, when Mr. Trump used the typically solemn occasion of the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington to needle Mr. Schwarzenegger as “a total disaster” on “The New Celebrity Apprentice,” the latest incarnation of the NBC reality franchise that catapulted Mr. Trump to national stardom. | The fireworks began on Thursday morning, when Mr. Trump used the typically solemn occasion of the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington to needle Mr. Schwarzenegger as “a total disaster” on “The New Celebrity Apprentice,” the latest incarnation of the NBC reality franchise that catapulted Mr. Trump to national stardom. |
| “They hired a big, big movie star, Arnold Schwarzenegger, to take my place, and we know how that turned out,” Mr. Trump said, as Mark Burnett, the “Apprentice” creator who has become an active champion of Christian causes, listened a few feet away. | “They hired a big, big movie star, Arnold Schwarzenegger, to take my place, and we know how that turned out,” Mr. Trump said, as Mark Burnett, the “Apprentice” creator who has become an active champion of Christian causes, listened a few feet away. |
| “The ratings went right down the tubes,” Mr. Trump continued. “Mark will never, ever bet against Trump again. And I want to just pray for Arnold, if we can, for those ratings.” | “The ratings went right down the tubes,” Mr. Trump continued. “Mark will never, ever bet against Trump again. And I want to just pray for Arnold, if we can, for those ratings.” |
| Minutes later, Mr. Schwarzenegger responded in a 15-second video posted to his Twitter account. | Minutes later, Mr. Schwarzenegger responded in a 15-second video posted to his Twitter account. |
| “Hey Donald, I have a great idea — why don’t we switch jobs?” said Mr. Schwarzenegger, his face filling the screen. “You take over TV, because you’re such an expert in ratings, and I take over your job. | “Hey Donald, I have a great idea — why don’t we switch jobs?” said Mr. Schwarzenegger, his face filling the screen. “You take over TV, because you’re such an expert in ratings, and I take over your job. |
| “And then people can finally sleep comfortably again,” Mr. Schwarzenegger added, with an impish grin. | “And then people can finally sleep comfortably again,” Mr. Schwarzenegger added, with an impish grin. |
| It was not Mr. Trump’s first jab at Mr. Schwarzenegger, whose debut as “Apprentice” host last month earned a rough review from the television critic-in-chief. “Wow, the ratings are in and Arnold Schwarzenegger got ‘swamped’ (or destroyed) by comparison to the ratings machine, DJT,” Mr. Trump tweeted in early January. | |
| That prompted Mr. Schwarzenegger to post a video of himself reading from Abraham Lincoln’s first inaugural address. “I wish you the best of luck and I hope you’ll work for ALL of the American people as aggressively as you worked for your ratings,” Mr. Schwarzenegger tweeted at the time. | |
| Mr. Trump, who remains a paid executive producer of “The New Celebrity Apprentice,” is an avid tracker of Nielsen numbers; he framed a Variety ratings chart from the first season of “The Apprentice” and hung it in his Trump Tower office. | Mr. Trump, who remains a paid executive producer of “The New Celebrity Apprentice,” is an avid tracker of Nielsen numbers; he framed a Variety ratings chart from the first season of “The Apprentice” and hung it in his Trump Tower office. |
| When NBC created a version of “The Apprentice” with Martha Stewart in 2005, Mr. Trump routinely called television journalists to point out Ms. Stewart’s lackluster numbers. | When NBC created a version of “The Apprentice” with Martha Stewart in 2005, Mr. Trump routinely called television journalists to point out Ms. Stewart’s lackluster numbers. |
| The president is also correct that Mr. Schwarzenegger’s numbers have been disappointing. “The Celebrity Apprentice” has been mired at the bottom of its time slot among the major broadcast networks, according to Nielsen statistics. The show routinely draws about half as many viewers as “The Bachelor,” the reality show that runs at the same time on ABC. | The president is also correct that Mr. Schwarzenegger’s numbers have been disappointing. “The Celebrity Apprentice” has been mired at the bottom of its time slot among the major broadcast networks, according to Nielsen statistics. The show routinely draws about half as many viewers as “The Bachelor,” the reality show that runs at the same time on ABC. |
| It would be possible for Mr. Trump to quit the White House and resume his hosting role in primetime. (In fact, the ratings would likely be high.) But Mr. Schwarzenegger, while a former governor of California, would face some roadblocks in becoming president, including the fact that he was born in Austria. | It would be possible for Mr. Trump to quit the White House and resume his hosting role in primetime. (In fact, the ratings would likely be high.) But Mr. Schwarzenegger, while a former governor of California, would face some roadblocks in becoming president, including the fact that he was born in Austria. |