President Donald Trump has spent the past several weeks disputing Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election , but, privately, he has reportedly acknowledged the reality of the results.
According to The Daily Beast ‘s White House sources, in conversations with aides and advisers, Trump has floated the idea of rebooting The Apprentice .
“How would you like to see The Apprentice come back?” and “Remember The Apprentice ?” are some of the lines the commander-in-chief has “casually slipped” into conversation with those in his orbit, according to individuals briefed on the matter.
Furthermore, according to the publication’s sources, the president has repeatedly bragged about the fact that his show was a ratings hit and suggested that he could revive it after leaving the White House.
Over 16 years, Trump reportedly earned $197 million directly from The Apprentice . Thanks to the fame associated with the franchise, he was able to generate an additional $230 million.
The Apprentice, which used to air on NBC, was created by producer Mark Burnett. It remains unclear if Trump and Burnett have discussed rebooting the show, but an individual close to the producer said that he has expressed interest in the idea.
“Mark’s an opportunist. Trump was his meal ticket before and he’s keen to bring the show back to life, especially in the face of the disaster MGM has become,” the person explained, referring to Burnett’s tenure as the chairman of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television Group (MGM).
Some close to Trump have already endorsed the idea.
Sinclair host Eric Bolling told The Daily Beast that he recently talked to Trump and expressed support for his attempts to overturn the results of the election, but suggested that the president should think about returning to reality TV.
“I mentioned to him that I believe whatever happens with the legal fights, he would emerge as the biggest media personality on the planet,” he said.
“I think an Apprentice / Celebrity Apprentice revival would be a humongous hit. This iteration would be ratings gold for whomever is fortunate enough to get the reboot.”
Other reports suggest that Trump has not given up on politics and that he is looking to launch a comeback presidential bid in 2024. In a recent Fox News poll , 71 percent of Republicans and 79 percent of Trump voters said that they would like him to do so.
In the same survey, 77 percent of Trump voters said that they think the 2020 election was rigged for Biden, even though there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud.