It could be a match made in reality TV heaven: Arnold “The Former Guvernator” Schwarzenegger against Donald “The President” Trump.
Schwarzenegger may be weighing a run for the Senate in 2018, GOP insiders told Politico. That’s when Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) will be up for re-election.
The former California governor could make a bid as a Republican or as an independent candidate. If he sticks with the GOP, he’ll be a very different Republican from Trump — one who believes in climate change, immigration and redistricting reform to fix gerrymandering.
The two men have already butted heads over “Celebrity Apprentice.” Trump, an executive producer of the show, has blamed Schwarzenegger for the program’s falling ratings.
And if your wondering, his platform includes more than just The Celebrity Apprentice:
His entry into the 2018 Senate race — when Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein would be 85 years old and up for reelection —“would give Arnold the stage to jam Trump for the next 16 months,’’ according to one veteran GOP strategist who spoke on condition of anonymity.
It would also enable Schwarzenegger to draw a contrast with the president on key issues, including climate change, political reform and even immigration.
Schwarzenegger spokesman Daniel Ketchell did not rule out a possible Senate run when asked to respond to the speculation.
“Right now Gov. Schwarzenegger’s focus is on using his platform to bring some sensibility and coherency to Washington by fighting for redistricting reform, like we did in California,’’ Ketchell told POLITICO via email Thursday. “We are keeping all of our options open as far as how we can accomplish that.”
Schwarzenegger, who as governor pursued political reforms including the “top two” primary system and a redistricting commission, has recently launched a major drive to end gerrymandering, a tradition he argues has benefited only partisan politics and gridlock — not the voters.
We’ll see what happens if the Governator takes that step. We’ll also need to see if Feinstein will retire or run again for re-election. Stay tuned.