Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday said he would not appear on another season of The Apprentice citing President Donald Trump, the Hill reports.
“Even if asked I would decline,” Schwarzenegger said. "I learned a lot, I had a great time, it was a really great opportunity. But under the circumstances I don’t want to do it again.”
“With Trump being involved in the show people have a bad taste and don’t want to participate as a spectator or sponsor or in any other way support the show,” he continued. “It’s a very divisive period right now and I think the show got caught up in all that division."
In a statement, Schwarzenegger added that he “loved” working with the Apprentice team, adding he would “absolutely work with all of them again on a show that doesn’t have this baggage.”
Last month, Trump ignited a feud with his Apprentice successor, offering up a prayer to the former governor of California over his anemic ratings as host of The Celebrity Apprentice.
“Hey, Donald, I have a great idea,” Schwarzenegger said in a video he posted on YouTube. “Why don’t we switch jobs? You take over TV — because you’re such an expert in ratings — and I take over your job so then people can finally sleep comfortably again?”
In response, Trump fired off a tweet saying Schwarzenegger “did a really bad job as Governor of California and even worse on the Apprentice.”
“But at least he tried hard!” the President of the United States added.
Schwarzenegger replied simply, with a link the Los Angeles Daily News article about the movie star releasing his tax returns. Now, it appears Schwarzenegger is bowing out of his ratings-based relationship with the tv-star-turned-president, citing the “baggage” presented by President Trump.
“I loved every second of working with NBC and Mark Burnett,” he said in a statement. “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.”
