Donald Trump on The Celebrity Apprentice
NBC
President elect Donald Trump will remain an executive producer on the new season of NBC's The Celebrity Apprentice, BuzzFeed News has confirmed. The story was first reported by Variety. Trump hosted The Apprentice offshoot for seven seasons, but turned the reins over to Arnold Schwarzenegger for the 2017 edition, titled The New Celebrity Apprentice, premiering Jan. 2.
The Apprentice and The Celebrity Apprentice were popular programs and boosted visibility for Trump starting in 2004. Many have gone so far to say that the Mark Burnett-produced reality shows actually made his presidency possible.
Trump and his relationship to Burnett came under scrutiny during the 2016 election, as interest in Trump's behavior — including alleged racist and sexist comments — from the sets of The Apprentice and The Celebrity Apprentice increased. Archival footage and b-roll from the shows were sought from Burnett, but recordings have yet to surface.
Trump seems keen to further his relationship with Burnett as The New York Times reports that the two met to discuss attention-grabbing ideas for his inauguration. Proposed ideas included a parade on New York's Fifth Avenue and a helicopter ride (that could span from the capitol to NYC), to "hold the attention of millions of people expected to watch from around the world."
via BuzzFeed/Travel
