Arnie bites back at Trump's dig telling fans to pray for Apprentice ratings by suggesting they switch jobs so people can 'sleep comfortably again' 

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President Donald Trump requested prayers for his 'Apprentice' replacement, Arnold Schwarzenegger, at a religious gathering on Thursday morning in Washington.

He skewered the movie star for running the television show into the ground this season, claiming, 'It's been a total disaster.'

'And I want to just pray for Arnold, if we can, for those ratings, okay?' he said.

Trump left the NBC program that's produced by Mark Burnett to run for president. 

Schwarzenegger, a former governor of California, quickly responded with a dig of his own in a video message that he posted to Twitter.

'Hey Donald, I have a great idea. Why don't we switch jobs? You take over TV because you're such an expert in ratings, and I take over your job. And then, people can finally sleep comfortably again. Hmm?' 

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President Donald Trump requested prayers for his 'Apprentice' replacement, Arnold Schwarzenegger, at a religious gathering on Thursday morning in Washington. Trump left the NBC program that's produced by Mark Burnett (left) to run for president

Schwarzenegger, a former governor of California, quickly responded with a dig of his own in a video message that he posted to Twitter. 'Hey Donald, I have a great idea. Why don't we switch jobs?

Schwarzenegger, 69, is an Austrian immigrant. He cannot hold the office of president because he's not a natural born U.S. citizen. 

Trump started a fight with Schwarzenegger earlier this month, before he moved into the White House, on Twitter over his debut as host of 'The Celebrity Apprentice.'

The movie star's debut as host of The Celebrity Apprentice this month garnered 4.9 million viewers. Trump's premiere his last season, in 2015, attracted 6.5 million viewers. 

Trump said the 'Terminator' actor was getting '"swamped" (or destroyed) by comparison to the ratings machine, DJT.'  Schwarzenegger encouraged him to 'work for ALL of the American people as aggressively as you worked for your ratings.' 

After Burnett talked about the show's origins this morning in his introduction of Trump at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, the president reiterated his unhappiness with Schwarzenegger at the beginning of his own remarks.

'They hired a big, big movie star, Arnold Schwarzenegger, to take my place. And we know how that turned out. The ratings went right down the tubes,' he said.

Turning to Burnett, who had been seated next to him on the dias, Trump called Schwarzenegger a 'disaster' and said, 'Mark will never, ever bet against Trump again.' 

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said the president meant for the diss to be a 'light-hearted' jab at Burnett.

'I think if you look at the totality of his remarks, they were absolutely beautiful,' Spicer said. 'And I think to hone in on that it was a light-hearted moment he was trying to have with a big supporter of the National Prayer Breakfast and a personal friend.'

Burnett, a television and movie producer, had spoken fondly of Trump - crediting the billionaire's book 'The Art of the Deal' as a bedrock for his personal success.

He recalled meeting Trump for the first time and said, 'My dream had come true.'

In addition to 'The Apprentice' and CBS' 'Survivor,' Burnett, along with wife, Roma Downey, star of the long-running faith-based program Touched By an Angel, produced the History Channel miniseries 'The Bible' in 2013 and the 2016 remake of the classic film 'Ben-Hur.'

In remarks introducing the president, Burnett said that working with Trump 'has been one of the greatest relationships of my life.'

Trump called Burnett and Downey 'great friends' in a speech that unraveled into a public shaming of his 'Apprentice' successor.

'Beautiful Roma Downey. The voice of an angel. She's got the voice. Every time I hear that voice, it's so beautiful. And everything is so beautiful about Roma, including her husband,' Trump said. 'Because he's a special, special friend, Mark Burnett.'

The president said the show they produced together 'had tremendous success.'

'We've had an amazing life together the last 14, 15 years, an outstanding man. And thank you very much for introducing me. Appreciate it. It's a great honor. '   

His beef with Schwarzenegger is personal. The Republican politician supported Ohio Governor John Kasich in the GOP primary and refused to endorse Trump in the general. 

At the bipartisan event in Washington this morning that the occupant of the Oval Office has attended since the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenshower, presidents have often shared messages of religious tolerance and togetherness.

Trump revealed plans to make immigrants and refugees assimilate to American traditions.

'We want people to come into our nation, but we want people to love us and to love our values,' he said. 'We will be a safe country, we will be a free country.'  

Travel restrictions that Trump placed on seven nations whose citizens are mainly-Muslim inspired protests across the country. His plan to build a wall dividing the United States from its neighbors in Mexico was also met with uproar. 

In remarks introducing the president at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, a bipartisan gathering politicians have attended since 1953, Burnett said, 'It has been one of the greatest relationships of my life'

'I know what he's trying to accomplish - his fear about people coming in from other places, causing harm to the country,' told Extra's Mario Lopez on Monday.  'There is another way to going about it to do it the right way and accomplish all of the goals. I think they were hasty with it.'

The president made no apologies for his policies today at the Washington prayer gathering. 'We will be a safe country. We will be a free country,' he said.

The National Prayer Breakfast has been held in Washington since 1953. It is hosted by The Fellowship Foundation and a group of federal legislators from both chambers of Congress. 

Dr. Ben Carson confronted Barack Obama in his keynote address in 2013. The episode launched his political career and unsuccessful bid for the presidency last year. He's Trump's nominee to lead Housing And Urban Development.

Obama's speech, in 2015, turned heads when he scolded 'less-than-loving expressions by Christians.' 

After Trump proposed a Muslim ban last year while he was campaigning for presidency, Obama zeroed in on the treatment of Muslim Americans.

Trump skewered the movie star for running the television show into the ground this season, claiming, 'It's been a total disaster'

'Just as we call on other countries to respect the rights of religious minorities, we, too, respect the right of every American to practice their faith freely,' Obama said, 'This is what each of us is called on to do, to seek our common humanity of each other.'

Chris Coons, a senator from Delaware representing Democrats on the dias this year, alluded to the tumult in Washington that led Trump to win elected office, saying in his opening remarks that 'it may be the understatement of the century that Washington D.C. needs prayer.'

Rear Admiral Barry Black, the Senate chaplain and this year's keynote speaker, observed that Democrats and Republicans in the upper chamber come together for a weekly prayer session, regardless.

'I find myself thinking, "Where are the C-SPAN cameras when you need them?" ' he said.

Turning to Burnett, who had been seated next to him on the dias, Trump said called Schwarzenegger a 'disaster' from the podium and said, 'Mark will never, ever bet against Trump again'

Black recalled a senator saying that it's difficult to pray together like that, then turn around and 'figuratively stab one of your colleagues in the back.'

The senator 'quickly added that it's not impossible,' Black said to laughter, but it is hard. 

Two heads of state were attending the breakfast this year, Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein of Jordan and the Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo Samy Badibanga. 

Trump's Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, sworn in last night, was also there. 

The president did not host Abdullah in the Oval Office, but they had a chance to talk at the breakfast, and the two heads of state had a 'very good conversation,' the White House says.

Contemporary Christian group MercyMe provided this year's music, performing their crossover hit, 'I Can Only Imagine' and another one of their songs.