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    Donald Trump Slams Arnold Schwarzenegger; Arnold Responds

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    By now, we’ve all learned the hard way that when the president-elect has something to say, he takes it straight to Twitter. Whether it’s political musings, randomly insulting people, or poking the proverbial tiger (who usually happens to be a nuclear-capable nation we’re less than friendly with), The Donald can usually sum up his deep thoughts in 140 characters or less. And let’s face it: deep or not, he has thoughts on pretty much everything.

    So it’s no surprise that he felt the need to tweet about the premiere of The Celebrity Apprentice. Once his own show, he was ousted as the host two years ago. The show took a hiatus, and finally returned to the airwaves this week, with new host Arnold Schwarzenegger deciding which B-lister will be “terminated” each week. (Yes, that’s really his catchphrase.)

    Given the length of its absence, the controversial nature of its previous host, and its timeslot competition on other networks, it’s really no surprise that the ratings were only okay. Not great and not terrible, the show pulled in a respectable 4.9 million viewers, which translates to a Nielsen rating of 1.3. But apparently, that was a good enough reason for the orange one to start throwing shade.

    “Wow, the ratings are in and Arnold Schwarzenegger got “swamped” (or destroyed) by comparison to the ratings machine, DJT. So much for being a movie star. And that was Season 1 compared to Season 14. Now compare him to my Season 1. But who cares, he supported Kasich and Hillary.”

    Yes, he referred to himself in the third person. And had the nerve to condescend to his followers, as if they couldn’t figure out what “swamped” means. Which is kind of funny, coming from a guy with the vocabulary of your average angry toddler.

    But I digress. The real story here isn’t Herr Gropenfuhrer’s immaturity, but rather, the classy way that Schwarzenegger took the high road in his responses.

    In a series of Tweets, the former California governor delivered this message:

    “There’s nothing more important than the people’s work. I wish you the best of luck, and I hope you’ll work for ALL the American people as aggressively as you worked for your ratings. Please study this quote from Lincoln’s inaugural address. It inspired me every day I was Governor, and I hope it inspires you.”

    The attached video contained this message: “We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic accords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the cause of our union when again touched. As surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.”

    The speech is made all the more poignant by its words about the true nature of being American, being spoken in Schwarzenegger’s thick Austrian accent. He considers himself as American as the rest of us, with pride and affection for our nation, which he considers to be already great.

    I know it’s a long shot. But maybe, just maybe, Trump can learn something about class and respect from his fellow Republican.