The Beef Between Donald Trump And Martha Stewart, Explained

Jamie Mccarthy/Getty

Businesswoman and successful author Martha Stewart has had no shortage of controversies, but through all her struggles, the lifestyle guru always seems to land on her feet. However, there is one sticky situation Stewart can't seem to get away from — her messy feud with presidential candidate Donald Trump. Considering Martha Stewart became America's first self-made female billionaire in 1999 — right before taking a hit to her bank account and image (and bank account) when she did time in prison — it's safe to assume Trump is also a little bit jealous of her success.

When Stewart was released from the slammer in 2005, she got her own "Apprentice" television show, which obviously ruffled Trump's delicate feathers. Being competitive in all things, Donald Trump eventually won out, with ratings for his version of "The Apprentice" beating Stewart's. At the time, Stewart responded in an interview with Newsweek by saying, "Having two 'Apprentices' was as unfair to him as it was unfair to me." In response, Donald Trump told the press that he wished Stewart would own up to her failure. Trump's "Apprentice" went on to become a remarkable success, airing from 2004-2017, with several variations and spin-offs. The beef between the two reality stars could have ended here, but it seems to reappear every election cycle.

Roy Rochlin & Win Mcnamee/Getty

During Donald Trump's 2016 run for the presidency, Martha Stewart was vocal about her support for Hillary Clinton. This drew the former president's ire, but Stewart made an effort to smooth things over once he took office. In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, Stewart showed off her immaculate sense of manners, saying, "I sent my congratulations to the Trump family, and I think they have an opportunity — let's see how they do with it." However, she couldn't resist adding one final dig: "Guess what, we'll have a true entrepreneur in the White House ... [although] he has no other experience." 

Now that the current presidential campaign is heating up, it seems Stewart has once again reignited the feud. According to The Daily Beast, at the 2024 Retail Influencer CEO Forum on September 10, 2024, the "Meatless" author was once again honest about not voting for Trump. When asked who she would vote for, Stewart responded "Kamala" before admitting she has no intention of voting for someone "who doesn't hate New York [and who] doesn't hate democracy." Donald Trump has yet to respond to these latest barbs, as he appears to be busy hitting up podcasts on the campaign trail.