Normally the answer would be no but (a) it’s Friday and (b) there is the minor fact that he still retains an “executive producer” credit on “Celebrity Apprentice.” In May he told the New York Times, “You know I have a big chunk of that show, going forever. Mark [Burnett] and I did it together. We were 50-50 partners.” He’s not just badmouthing a political critic here. He’s talking down his own property to do so.

I feel bad for him that he’s two weeks away from becoming the world’s most powerful person and he’s still watching TV ratings to measure himself against Schwarzenegger. You won, Donald. Accept it.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/817348644647108609
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/817350726800306177

Trump’s season-one audience was nearly four times as large as Schwarzenegger’s was this week, pulling 18.5 million viewers compared to Arnold’s 4.9 million. That was 2004, though, when the show’s concept was novel and there were were fewer cable channels and online streaming outlets to compete for eyeballs. A better comparison is Trump’s final season premiere in 2015 — which also beat Schwarzenegger. Trump pulled 6.5 million for that.

Why the impulse to humiliate Arnold? Reporters on Twitter predictably seem to favor the “distraction” theory, that Trump’s throwing out a shiny object to keep the media from covering today’s briefing on the Russia hacking, but that’s stupid. There’ll be coverage of that this weekend and beyond. The idea that Trump is forever tweeting strategically to create “stray voltage,” blinding his critics by focusing their attention elsewhere, is already overhyped and he hasn’t even been sworn in yet. A better theory is that he’s getting back at Schwarzenegger for endorsing Kasich, as his tweets imply, but that would be surprising given how magnanimous he was to Mitt Romney, who criticized him much more harshly during the campaign. Besides, Arnold has tried to make amends since the election, warning anti-Trumpers to make peace with Trump’s victory and root for him to succeed. The likely truth is that Trump was just being Trump. The alpha male must assert dominance over another when given the chance and the new ratings gave him a chance. (He’s always been obsessed with his ratings, allegedly.) It’s my nature, said the scorpion to the frog.

Arnold took the high road in responding, which is nice but not the best move publicity-wise. A feud with PEOTUS can only help grow his audience:

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.

— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) January 6, 2017

Please study this quote from Lincoln's inaugural, @realDonaldTrump. It inspired me every day I was Governor, and I hope it inspires you. pic.twitter.com/QRoOFTZfQ9

— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) January 6, 2017

We’re one small constitutional amendment away from a Trump vs. Schwarzenegger election in 2020. Just think about it, is all I’m saying.

Here’s Schwarzenegger debuting his new “Apprentice” catchphrase, which is predictable in the cringiest possible way. Exit question: We know who wins the Trump/Arnold feud. Who’ll win the other big feud on Twitter today between Trump’s two favorite cable-news hosts turned advisors?