Trump vs Schwarzenegger: 9 Moments in History of Friends Turned Rivals (Photos)
Even with Iran, health care, refugees, and the Supreme Court on his plate, Donald Trump still won’t let go of his feud with Arnold Schwarzenegger. At the National Prayer Breakfast, he took yet another shot at the Terminator and how his reign as host of “The Celebrity Apprentice” has gone in the ratings. It’s rather ironic that it has come to this, as the two celebrities-turned-politicians were once on much better terms.
According to a 2016 Politico article, Schwarzenegger and Trump were seen joking around at the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York. At Trump’s request, Schwarzenegger even moved his entourage from the Mandarin Hotel to one of Trump’s hotels, which irked the governor’s wife, Maria Shriver.
In 2007, when he was governor of California, Schwarzenegger had a guest appearance on an episode of “The Apprentice: Los Angeles,” inviting contestants into his private conference room in Sacramento. Back then, Trump described the Governator as a “great friend.”
Apparently he was such a great friend that a month later, Trump donated $10,000 to Schwarzenegger to help pay off debts from his 2006 re-election campaign. The donation got the governor in hot water, as political watchdogs saw it as him using his celebrity status to solve his political problems.
But during Trump’s presidential campaign, Schwarzenegger would not provide the same support. On social media, he said he would not vote for Trump…whom he would not refer to by name…reminding his fellow Republicans that it’s “not only acceptable to choose your country over your party — it is your duty.”
Trump struck back a couple weeks before his inauguration, mocking the low ratings Schwarzenegger was getting for his rendition of “Celebrity Apprentice” while referring to himself as a “ratings machine.” Trump had made similar taunts at Martha Stewart when she hosted her version of the reality show back in 2005.
Schwarzenegger responded by wishing Trump luck and saying that he hoped “you’ll work for ALL of the American people as aggressively as you worked for your ratings.”
