Speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, President Donald Trump touted his success on "The Apprentice" and jokingly asked for "prayers" for the show's new star, Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Arnie took to Twitter to respond.
Arnold Schwarzenegger has joked that he would 'smash' President Trump's head into a table.
The Celebrity Apprentice host told the Men's Journal he suggested the idea to his assistant when he proposed organizing a one-hour meeting with his predecessor.
But insisted he had to be 'above all that' and would instead just put him on the spot.
The former Governor of California said he made the remarks after Trump slammed the opening night ratings of the NBC show he left before taking office, reports the Daily Mail.
"I said, 'Let's sit on it for an hour,'" Schwarzenegger told the magazine. "I called my assistant and said, 'I think what we really should do is request a meeting and go back to New York.... And then we just smash his face into the table.'"
He released his records in the run up to his 2006 reelection campaign.
Donald Trump has not released his tax returns and his counselor Kellyanne Conway said that he does not plan to as of last week, the New York Times reported.
He'd previously said he would release them following an IRS audit. He was the first presidential candidate since the early 1970s to not release his returns.
Earlier Friday morning, Trump tweeted: "Yes, Arnold Schwarzenegger did a really bad job as Governor of California and even worse on the Apprentice...but at least he tried hard!"
Yes, Arnold Schwarzenegger did a really bad job as Governor of California and even worse on the Apprentice...but at least he tried hard!
Schwarzenegger replaced Trump as host of the Celebrity Apprentice this season, after NBC severed their dies with the mogul in the wake of inflammatory statements he made on the campaign trail.
The new season of the show premiered this Monday, to low ratings - despite hopes that the controversy would cause more viewers to tune in.
Trump's tweet came a day after he hit out at Schwarzenegger at the National Prayer Breakfast, calling on the attendees to pray for Arnold and "for those ratings."
He skewered the movie star for running the television show into the ground this season, claiming, "It's been a total disaster."
Schwarzenegger responded to the attack by recording a video, proposing that they switch jobs if he is so worried about the Celebrity Apprentice's ratings.
"Hey Donald, I have a great idea. Why don't we switch jobs? 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. Hmm?" Schwarzenegger said.
Schwarzenegger, 69, is an Austrian immigrant. He cannot hold the office of president because he's not a natural born U.S. citizen.
Trump started a fight with Schwarzenegger earlier this month, before he moved into the White House, on Twitter over his debut as host of The Celebrity Apprentice.
The movie star's debut as host of The Celebrity Apprentice this month garnered 4.9 million viewers. Trump's premiere his last season, in 2015, attracted 6.5 million viewers.
Trump said the Terminator actor was getting "'swamped' (or destroyed) by comparison to the ratings machine, DJT." Schwarzenegger encouraged him to "work for ALL of the American people as aggressively as you worked for your ratings."
After Burnett talked about the show's origins this morning in his introduction of Trump at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, the president reiterated his unhappiness with Schwarzenegger at the beginning of his own remarks.
"They hired a big, big movie star, Arnold Schwarzenegger, to take my place. And we know how that turned out. The ratings went right down the tubes," he said.
President Donald Trump flashes a thumbs up at the National Prayer Breakfast. Photo / Getty Images
Turning to Burnett, who had been seated next to him on the dias, Trump called Schwarzenegger a "disaster" and said, "Mark will never, ever bet against Trump again."
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said the president meant for the diss to be a "light-hearted" jab at Burnett.
"I think if you look at the totality of his remarks, they were absolutely beautiful," Spicer said. "And I think to hone in on that it was a light-hearted moment he was trying to have with a big supporter of the National Prayer Breakfast and a personal friend."
Trump's beef with Schwarzenegger is personal. The Republican politician supported Ohio Governor John Kasich in the GOP primary and refused to endorse Trump in the general.
His beef with Schwarzenegger is personal. The Republican politician supported Ohio Governor John Kasich in the GOP primary and refused to endorse Trump in the general.
