Bodybuilding legend Arnold Schwarzenegger has been active in the media for about five decades. His career in the film industry started with a title role in the 1970 film Hercules in New York. Rising in popularity, he starred in the Terminator, which became his signature franchise.

Schwarzenegger’s success even reached the political sphere as he served as the 38th Governor of California between 2003 and 2011. Naturally, with his varied experiences, came feuds with a range of celebrities and politicians.

Arnold Schwarzenegger goes head-to-head with Donald Trump

In the film industry, popular action hero Sylvester Stallone became his biggest rival as they competed throughout the 70s and 80s. But his feud with former US President Donald Trump had a very different story. For the 2016 US Presidential elections, Donald Trump announced his candidacy. Effectively, he left Celebrity Apprentice, a reality TV show he hosted for about fourteen years.

In the wake of his departure, Arnold Schwarzenegger became the new host shortly after which the show stopped airing. And their deteriorating friendship led to a massive online feud between the two celebrities as the show’s ratings tanked. Donald Trump targeted Schwarzenegger’s abilities as a host, all guns blazing.

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As the show got canceled, Trump took a shot at the former governor via Twitter, writing “Arnold Schwarzenegger… You know what? He died … I was there.” Never one to back down from a challenge, the bodybuilder shot back, issuing an interesting challenge to then-President Trump. “I’m still here. Want to compare tax returns, @realDonaldTrump?”

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Schwarzenegger’s dig referred to Trump’s recent refusal to disclose his tax filings. Subsequently, the seven-time Mr. Olympia continued to criticize Trump’s presidency and Trump kept targeting his performance on the show he formerly starred on.

How the Trump-Schwarzenegger friendship deteriorated

Initially, Arnold Schwarzenegger maintained a close friendship with Donald Trump. When the bodybuilding legend appeared as a guest on Celebrity Apprentice in 2007, Trump introduced the governor as a “close friend.” Later, Schwarzenegger revealed in an interview that the two used to meet at pro-wrestling matches in the past.

But Trump’s policies as a Presidential candidate didn’t agree with Schwarzenegger’s stance on many issues. And eventually, their relationship turned sour. The bodybuilder declined to endorse Trump. He even wrote a message to his fans that he felt conflicted about the elections as a Republican.

The former President, known for his long rants on Twitter condemning those who oppose him, didn’t take Schwarzenegger’s actions lightly. Consequently, as the ratings of Celebrity Apprentice started declining under the new casting, he saw the opportunity to criticize Schwarzenegger. The feud stretched on for months.

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What do you think of the whole incident? Who do you think will win in a real-life fight in a ring? Let us know in the comments.