The braid of Amazon and Donald Trump grows tighter. Prime Video introduced final week that it might stream the primary seven seasons of The Apprentice, the boardroom actuality present that resurrected Trump’s cultural relevance when it premiered in 2004. (This deal is more likely to straight line the pockets of Trump, who not solely starred within the present but additionally served as an govt producer, even retaining that credit score throughout his first yr within the White Home, when The New Superstar Apprentice aired with Arnold Schwarzenegger as host.) In the meantime, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, whose firm contributed $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund, is incomes reward from the president for his current strikes at The Washington Submit, equivalent to neutering the editorial employees. Amazon has additionally entered right into a $40 million licensing settlement for a documentary about first girl Melania’s life, which is able to reportedly see her earn a minimum of $28 million. Democracy dies in backroom offers by the hands of darkish billionaires.
It’s a foul journey revisiting The Apprentice at the moment—watching Trump hawk his present from the bottom of the Statue of Liberty. A Gallup ballot measuring Trump’s fame before the show revealed that 98% of individuals surveyed knew his title, however 58% considered him unfavorably. We the folks gave the canine again his enamel. As an viewers, we have been seduced by his mean-spirited catchphrase and phantasm of authority. But he appeared innocent sufficient as a TV star, just like the charismatic uncle at household dinner who would decide up the verify if the desk let him inform the identical outdated tales. His hair has endlessly been his enterprise card. He liked displaying contestants his hairline in order that they might marvel that it was actual.
There’s at all times been an undertone of menace round Trump. However on The Apprentice, his shifting moods and leering once-overs of feminine contestants have been softened by the enjoyable he was clearly having. His solely position on the present was to preen and slice folks off on the knees. Firing folks gave Trump such pleasure. He liked pitting members of the shedding staff towards each other in remaining deliberations, goading them to go after each other. His facet of the boardroom desk was just like the emperor’s balcony; the opposite, the gladiator ring. “She’s killing you,” Trump would say. “You’re getting destroyed.” “Everyone’s killing you, you’re carried out.”
Often, somebody would impress Trump with a little bit of intelligent spin. Rewatching the present, I may see him flipping positions in actual time, like how a toddler can change their temper in the event that they’re served dinner with the flawed spoon. Being impressed by folks appeared to harass him; he would sucks in his cheeks and provides a begrudging nod. Any expression of vulnerability or ambivalence or pushback incurred his wrath. “How silly are you able to be?” he’d ask in what appeared like practically each episode. Adulation of self and disdain for others have been his two house bases.
Throughout my nauseating rewatch, it was fascinating to notice how morally offended Trump bought in season six after a contestant self-deprecatingly referred to himself as “white trash.” Derek Arteta, an leisure lawyer, was on the chopping block after his staff misplaced a problem resulting from a misguided use of go-karts. As he defended his misunderstanding of the problem’s audience, he joked, “I’m white trash. I solely eat at eating places with deep-fried appetizers…”
Trump was appalled by the time period. “What do you imply, you’re white trash? What does that imply? You don’t joke about that. What does that imply, you’re white trash?” he mentioned. “You understand, I grew up in a small city and I’m not subtle,” Arteta responded, nonetheless smiling. Trump was furious at this level. “I don’t prefer it as a joke. You understand what, Derek? You’re fired! I feel that’s so silly so that you can say. You’re fired! Go! Horrible! You shouldn’t use that expression anymore both. How silly are you able to be? I don’t wish to rent white trash. You understand what? ‘White trash’ is a horrible expression. It’s not a pleasant expression.” White trash is the place Trump, who has systematically dehumanized teams of individuals prefer it’s his job, apparently drew the road.
It was discombobulating to look at Kwame Jackson make it to the finals of season one, realizing now that footage of Trump referring to him because the N-word is alleged to exist. Invoice Pruitt, a producer on the primary two seasons of The Apprentice, shared this in a 2024 Slate essay, which he revealed after ready out the twenty years coated by his NDA. Within the piece, he quoted Trump throughout an alleged dialogue about probably choosing Jackson because the winner: “I imply, would America purchase a [N-word] successful?”
Apparently, no one blinked, and the subject was “swiftly” modified, as Pruitt writes. “None of us thinks to stroll out the door and by no means return. I nonetheless want I had.” (A spokesperson for Trump has denied Pruitt’s account, calling it politically motivated.)
Historical past repeats itself. We maintain letting this man again into our residing rooms, as folks within the room with him keep silent. The Statue of Liberty weeps.
