Trump today: Schwarzenegger bows out of "Celebrity Apprentice"
Trump today:
Schwarzenegger bows out of
‘Celebrity Apprentice’
President Trump’s prayers weren’t answered. Or maybe they were.
Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced Friday that he will terminate himself from hosting “Celebrity Apprentice.” The one-time Mr. Universe bodybuilder said the “baggage” resulting from Trump’s ascendance from the boardroom to the White House was too heavy for him to lift the show out of a slump.
Schwarzenegger’s decision came a month after Trump asked attendees at the National Prayer Breakfast to pray for the “Terminator” star amid low ratings.
“I loved every second of working with NBC and Mark Burnett,” the show’s producer, Schwarzenegger said in a statement released through his representative, Daniel Ketchell. “Everyone — from the celebrities to the crew to the marketing department — was a straight 10, and I would absolutely work with all of them again on a show that doesn't have this baggage.”
In an interview with Empire magazine published Friday, Schwarzenegger said Trump’s involvement as an executive producer on the reality show turned off viewers and sponsors, leading him to quit.
“Even if asked [to do it again] I would decline,” Schwarzenegger told Empire. “With Trump being involved in the show, people have a bad taste and don’t want to participate as a spectator or as a sponsor or in any other way support the show. It’s a very divisive period now and I think this show got caught up in all that division.”
Trump and Schwarzenegger had spent months exchanging jabs over the show, which Schwarzenegger took over after campaign duties prevented Trump from hosting.
At the Feb. 2 National Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C., Trump highlighted the drop in ratings since he was replaced.
“They hired a big, big movie star — Arnold Schwarzenegger — to take my place. And we know how that turned out,” Trump said. “The ratings went right down the tubes. It’s been a total disaster... I want to just pray for Arnold if we can.”
Schwarzenegger quickly responded in a video posted to Twitter.
“Hey Donald, I have a great idea. Why don’t we switch jobs?” he said. “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, hm?”
Trump seemed to support Schwarzenegger at one point during his candidacy. When the new host announcement came in September 2015, he tweeted, “Congrats to my friend @Schwarzenegger who is doing next season’s Celebrity Apprentice. He'll be great & will raise lots of $ for charity.”
But on Jan. 6, Trump criticized the new host’s ratings, saying Schwarzenegger got “swamped,” and calling himself, “DJT,” a “ratings machine.”
Schwarzenegger responded: “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.”
The Chronicle has published several articles on the friendship-turned-feud between Trump and Schwarzenegger. Here are some links:
Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jlyons@sfchronicle.comTwitter: @JennaJourno
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