With the latest presidential inauguration just around the corner, President-Elect Donald Trump likely has a lot of important things to discuss with lots of important people. But everybody knows darned well that Trump is giving special attention to his old stomping ground at NBC's Celebrity Apprentice, and he took no hesitation in laying down a choppah-block on new host Arnold Schwarzenegger about the premiere's less-than ideal ratings. Not one to retreat and and blend in with the background scenery, the former California governor clapped back to Trump's insults.
You just knew Arnold Schwarzenegger would be back with something, and his response was as powerful as T-800's shotgun blasts, and it almost had to be. Twitter wars can occasionally be an amusing and unpredictable way for people to hash things out, but Donald Trump's tweets are rarely gentle in approach, and he always likes getting the last word in, so one has to come hard and correct with a reply.
Had Trump not brought up Arnold Schwarzenegger's political leanings before the election, perhaps The New Celebrity Apprentice host would have kept his response more tied to the world of TV. Such as, perhaps, asking the future POTUS why he would want to so publicly rag on the ratings of a show that he's still a producer on. That just seems like a weird mixed-signals move on his part. Not that Trump has to worry about biting the hand that feeds. After all the controversial hubbub between NBC and Trump following his campaign start, it's possible he was also intentionally ruffling some network feathers. (Peacock joke: nailed.)
Arnold Schwarzenegger then took it a step further, leaving The New Celebrity Apprentice out of it altogether. He posted a video of him reading a quote from Abraham Lincoln's inauguration speech, and advised the President-Elect to study it in hopes of finding inspiration. A-a-and, now that Honest Abe has entered the conversation, we need Vince Neil and Snooki to pop in and add some levity back into things.
Having just kicked off this anticipated new season, The New Celebrity Apprentice airs Monday nights on NBC. To see what else is hitting the small screen in the near future (that may or may not attract Donald Trump's social media attention), head to our midseason premiere schedule.
