Arnold Schwarzenegger Leaving Celebrity Apprentice Because Of Its ‘Baggage’

Arnold Schwarzenegger announced he’s leaving The New Celebrity Apprentice because of the show’s “baggage.”

“I loved every second of working with NBC and Mark Burnett,” the former California governor said in a statement Friday, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “Everyone — form 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.”

Schwarzenegger elaborated in an interview British entertainment magazine Empire that the decision had to do with his predecessor: President Donald Trump. Schwarzenegger took over the hosting gig from Trump when the now-president turned to politics.

“With Trump being involved in the show people have a bad taste and don’t want to participate as a spectator or as a sponsor or in any other way support the show,” Schwarzenegger said. “It’s a very divisive period now and I think this show got caught up in all that division.”

Trump stayed on as an executive producer and said he had a role in picking Schwarzenegger as his successor. But he turned on Schwarzenegger as the show got disappointing ratings. “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 & Hillary,” Trump tweeted in two separate tweets after the show’s premiere in January.