"Pasty Flabby Boy..."

Arnold Schwarzenegger brutally roasts former Trump official on Twitter

Alec Regimbal

Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger savagely roasted former Trump administration official Jeffrey Clark on Wednesday during an online spat over an upcoming case scheduled to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court in December. 

That case, Moore v. Harper, centers on a controversial interpretation of the U.S. Constitution known as the "independent state legislature theory." The idea is that state courts and state constitutions have no say over how state lawmakers draw congressional district lines. The theory is being tested in the high court after the North Carolina Supreme Court rejected an extremely gerrymandered boundary map that conservative state lawmakers drew last year during redistricting. 

Schwarzenegger announced on Twitter on Wednesday that he would be submitting an amicus brief to the Supreme Court on the case, which means he's willing to offer his expertise and knowledge about the issue to justices in an attempt to help them make a better-informed ruling. In a tweet thread, Schwarzenegger called the independent state legislature theory "nuts" and argued the doctrine violates the checks-and-balances system democracy relies on. 

Clark tweeted a response to Schwarzenegger's announcement and called him a "faux Republican."

"You know when faux Republican 'the Ahhnold' is de-mothballed to file an amicus brief at the Supreme Court, one authored by significant Democrat Supreme Court practitioner David Frederick, the Dem party is very, very concerned about how Moore v. Harper could come out at the [Supreme Court]," Clark wrote.  

It was a decidedly unwise move. Schwarzenegger is notorious for his trash-talking ability (if you don't believe me, look up the very awkward scene from the documentary "Pumping Iron" in which Schwarzenegger mercilessly taunts bodybuilding rival Lou Ferrigno while the two are eating breakfast with Ferrigno's father). Schwarzenegger fired back at Clark by posting a screenshot from a now-famous video of Clark standing in his driveway while federal authorities raided his home in connection with an investigation into efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. 

In that video, Clark stands in the door of his home while wearing nothing but a dress shirt and underwear. When authorities ask him to step outside, Clark asks, "Can I put pants on first?" Schwarzenegger, who rose to prominence as a champion bodybuilder, posted a screenshot of Clark in his underwear and mocked him for his physique. 

"Thanks for the kind message! I loved this photo of you, but if you want some tips on squatting to build up those legs, I’m here for you," Schwarzenegger wrote in the caption. 

Twitter users flocked to the replies and commended Schwarzenegger for his counterpunch. Clark, for his part, meekly replied by saying he was a fan of Schwarzenegger's movies, then admonished the former governor for making things personal. 

"I'll pass on steroids, Gubernator. Eventually, the health effects there will come home to roost," Clark wrote. "Love many of your movies but clearly you're a fan of authoritarian gov't. So much for the merits of your Moore position. You go right for the cheap shot."