Donald Trump is apparently as tired of his presidency as the rest of us, and longs to return to the sweet stupidity of reality television.
According to the Daily Beast, sources close to Trump say heâs been discussing the idea of reviving some version of The Apprentice or The Celebrity Apprentice with producer Mark Burnett after his presidency ends. Whether Trump is voted out, thrown out, or serves another term, the pair reportedly plan to bank on his increased fame as GOP party monster, tentatively titling the project, The Apprentice: White House.
âIt is something Burnett thinks could be a money-spinner and Trump is very keen on doing,â said one source, while another implied itâs probably a long-shot: âThey actually talked about an Apprentice: White House,â the source said, but added, âas far as I know, the discussion did not go far.â
Burnett and Trump are still close, the sources say. Although Burnett denounced the âhatred, division, and misogyny that has been a very unfortunate part of his campaignâ in the wake of the âgrab âem by the pussyâ tape, the producer has refused to release unaired show footage rumored to feature Trump using the N-word, calling deaf actress Marlee Matlin âretarded,â and Lil Jon âUncle Tom.â
In fact, a source says Burnett now considers his coziness with Trump to be among his crowning achievements: âMark would say, âMy relationship with the president is incredibly strong. Iâm the most powerful person in Hollywood because of it. I could wipe the floor because of it.â Mark has no shame.â
Burnettâs people denied that Burnett said anything to that effect and that he and Trump have a project in the works. âThe quoted statements attributed to Mr. Burnett are absolutely false,â a spokesman told the Daily Beast. âAmong other things, the president and Mr. Burnett have not discussed making television shows in any shape or form.â
Itâs not clear what, if any, network would want a new Trump show, aside from the one provided free of charge every day. Despite Trumpâs obsessive claims that his two programs were among the biggest in TV history, The Celebrity Apprentice ended its run in 2015 ranking 67the among network shows.
Trump and Burnettâs last partnership, the inaugurationâfor which Burnett tried and failed to lure big-name musical actsâwas also an embarrassment, trailing Barack Obamaâs first inauguration by 7.2 million viewers, and also pulling lower ratings than those of Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan.
Apprentice star Omarosa Manigault Newman, who was briefly a White House aide and has since gone on to detest Trump, confirms that he and Burnett are âtruly the best of buds,â but calls the Apprentice: White House idea âso absurd,â saying, âItâs already a reality show.â
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