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 NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S.
President-elect Donald Trump on Friday mocked his "Apprentice"
successor Arnold Schwarzenegger over ratings for the TV show,
sparking a Twitter fight between America's two biggest
celebrities-turned-politicians.
Former action movie star Schwarzenegger responded by suggesting
that Trump turn his attention to his work as the nation's new
president. He quoted Civil War-era President Abraham Lincoln in
advising Trump.
Trump, who became a household name as the tough host of "The
Apprentice" and sister show "The Celebrity Apprentice" for 14
seasons, slammed a 43 percent fall in the 18-to-49-year-old
audience for the new TV show hosted by Schwarzenegger, which
premiered on NBC earlier this week.
"Wow, the ratings are in and Arnold Schwarzenegger got 'swamped'
(or destroyed) by comparison to the ratings machine, DJT,"
tweeted Trump, who controversially retains an executive producer
credit on the reality show.
"So much for being a movie star - and that was season 1 compared
to season 14. Now compare him to my season 1," he added.
Schwarzenegger, a Republican who served two terms as California
governor but who has said he did not vote for Trump, responded
swiftly.
"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 "Terminator" actor tweeted.
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He then asked Trump to study a quote from Lincoln's inaugural
address in 1861, about bringing Americans together, saying he hoped
it would serve as an inspiration.
"We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies," the quote
begins.
Some 20 million Americans were regular watchers of "The Apprentice"
in the show's first year, falling to around 6 million in 2015 for
the last episode of "The Celebrity Apprentice" hosted by Trump.
The TV audience for Monday's revamped show with Schwarzenegger in
the boardroom was 11 million, with a larger, 43 percent, drop-off in
the 18-49-year-old demographic coveted by advertisers compared with
the show's last premiere in 2015, Nielsen data showed.
Trump will be inaugurated as U.S. president on Jan 20.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Leslie Adler)
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