The president's remarks follow reports that his son has been floated as a potential host
Credit: Jim WATSON/AFP via Getty; Andrew Harnik/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- President Donald Trump addressed rumors of The Apprentice returning and weighed in on the possibility of his son hosting
- He said Donald Trump Jr. “would be probably good” and has “a little charisma,” according to Fox News
- Reports of a reboot remain unconfirmed, with Amazon saying the show is not currently in active development
President Donald Trump is weighing in on speculation surrounding a potential revival of The Apprentice, and whether his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., could take on a leading role.
During remarks in the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump, 79, was asked about reports that the reality competition series could return and if his eldest son might serve as host. Trump acknowledged the rumors but stopped short of confirming any plans.
“Well, I’ve been hearing it,” Trump said in response to the question from Fox News' Peter Doocy. “Look, we had a great success. Fourteen seasons, and The Apprentice was a tremendous success. So, I’ve been hearing that a little bit.”
“So, we’ll see what happens," the president continued. "He’s a good guy. He’d be probably good. He’s got a little charisma going. You need a little charisma for that sucker. So, we’ll see what happens."
Credit: Bill Tompkins/Getty
The comments come amid renewed attention on the future of the franchise. As previously reported by PEOPLE, the reality competition series is in early discussions to be revived, with the Wall Street Journal reporting on April 29 that executives have floated Don Jr., 48, as a potential host.
However, an Amazon spokesperson told PEOPLE the show is not currently in active development.
“Since our acquisition of MGM, we have had preliminary internal discussions about what’s next for The Apprentice as a property,” the spokesperson previously said, adding that “any reporting on details of the show or names of potential hosts would be purely speculative.”
A source close to Don Jr. also told PEOPLE that the report was the first time he had heard of the idea of him returning to the series.
According to WSJ, discussions remain in early stages and Amazon has not approached the Trump family about a reboot. If the project were to move forward, it would likely stream on Prime Video, the outlet reported.
Before entering politics, Trump hosted The Apprentice and its spinoff The Celebrity Apprentice from 2004 to 2015. The series also featured appearances from his children, including Ivanka, 44, Don Jr. and Eric.
He stepped away from the franchise in 2015 as he launched his political career. NBC later cut ties with Trump following comments he made about Mexican immigrants. Arnold Schwarzenegger, 78, went on to host The Celebrity Apprentice in 2017 for one season.
At the time, Schwarzenegger suggested that the show’s ratings were affected by political divisions. In an interview with Empire, he said some viewers chose not to watch due to Trump’s continued involvement as an executive producer.
Credit: Bill Tompkins/Getty
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“When people found out that Trump was still involved as executive producer and was still receiving money from the show, then half the people [started] boycotting it,” Schwarzenegger said at the time. “It's not about the show … because everyone I ran into came up to me and said, 'I love the show … but I turned it off because as soon as I read Trump's name I'm outta there!'”
He added, “It's a very divisive period now and I think this show got caught up in all that division.”
The renewed interest in The Apprentice comes as Amazon continues to expand its content tied to the Trump family. The company previously acquired MGM in 2022, gaining access to the show’s back catalog, and more recently purchased Melania, a documentary about First Lady Melania Trump, for $40 million.
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