‘Apprentice’ Producers Apparently 'Struggled To Make Trump Seem Coherent'
- 5 years ago
People who worked on NBC’s hit reality show “The Apprentice” are speaking out about how the program worked to make Donald Trump seem more successful and coherent than he was.
People who worked on NBC's hit reality show "The Apprentice" are speaking out about how the program worked to make Donald Trump seem more successful and coherent than he was.
According to a recent New Yorker profile on "Apprentice" mastermind Mark Burnett, producer Katherine Walker indicated that they "often struggled to make Trump seem coherent, editing out garbled syntax and malapropisms. 'We cleaned it up so that he was his best self,' she said."
Meanwhile, the overall impression of the New York City businessman was not a positive one among the group, with Jonathon Braun, an editor on the show, saying of Trump, "Most of us knew he was a fake. He had just gone through I don't know how many bankruptcies. But we made him out to be the most important person in the world. It was like making the court jester the king."
The piece points to parallels between Trump on the show and Trump as president, including his lack of preparation for the boardroom sessions and impromptu firings of contestants. Braun said of the show's effort to reconstruct the narrative based on Trump's sudden decisions, "I find it strangely validating to hear that they're doing the same thing in the White House."
In fact, Burnett has been blamed for Trump's ascent to the presidency, with talk show host Jimmy Kimmel pointing to the producer during the 2016 Emmys, saying, "Thanks to Mark Burnett, we don't have to watch reality shows because we're living in one. If Donald Trump gets elected, and he builds that wall, the first person we're throwing over is Mark Burnett."
However, Burnett has disavowed any support for the reality star-turned presidential candidate, stating in 2016, "I am not now and have never been a supporter of Donald Trump's candidacy. I am NOT 'Pro-Trump.' Further, my wife and I reject the hatred, division and misogyny that has been a very unfortunate part of his campaign."
People who worked on NBC's hit reality show "The Apprentice" are speaking out about how the program worked to make Donald Trump seem more successful and coherent than he was.
According to a recent New Yorker profile on "Apprentice" mastermind Mark Burnett, producer Katherine Walker indicated that they "often struggled to make Trump seem coherent, editing out garbled syntax and malapropisms. 'We cleaned it up so that he was his best self,' she said."
Meanwhile, the overall impression of the New York City businessman was not a positive one among the group, with Jonathon Braun, an editor on the show, saying of Trump, "Most of us knew he was a fake. He had just gone through I don't know how many bankruptcies. But we made him out to be the most important person in the world. It was like making the court jester the king."
The piece points to parallels between Trump on the show and Trump as president, including his lack of preparation for the boardroom sessions and impromptu firings of contestants. Braun said of the show's effort to reconstruct the narrative based on Trump's sudden decisions, "I find it strangely validating to hear that they're doing the same thing in the White House."
In fact, Burnett has been blamed for Trump's ascent to the presidency, with talk show host Jimmy Kimmel pointing to the producer during the 2016 Emmys, saying, "Thanks to Mark Burnett, we don't have to watch reality shows because we're living in one. If Donald Trump gets elected, and he builds that wall, the first person we're throwing over is Mark Burnett."
However, Burnett has disavowed any support for the reality star-turned presidential candidate, stating in 2016, "I am not now and have never been a supporter of Donald Trump's candidacy. I am NOT 'Pro-Trump.' Further, my wife and I reject the hatred, division and misogyny that has been a very unfortunate part of his campaign."