In the new book Apprentice in Wonderland: How Donald Trump and Mark Burnett Took America Through the Looking Glass , Variety’s co-editor-in-chief, Ramin Setoodeh, reveals an interesting behind-the-scenes tidbit about The Apprentice . Contestants on the show were required to undergo testing for sexually transmitted diseases.
Setoodeh claims that though Donald Trump is well-known for being a germaphobe, it was the show’s executive producer, Mark Burnett, who insisted on the STD tests. Burnett was reportedly concerned about what the participants might be getting up to off-camera, according to Page Six .
Setoodeh writes, “[He] wanted to make sure he wouldn’t be held legally liable for anything that was shared after the boardroom closed for the night.” In a surprising instance, former contestant Bowie Hogg from the first season of The Apprentice shared a shocking detail about the STD tests administered back then.
According to TMZ , Hogg claimed the testing involved a funnel being inserted into his p***s. Hogg said, “It was a funnel that they stick in there,” adding, “Not to be crude, but they inserted it in your penis and they turned it and scraped it and pulled it out. And it was the most painful thing I’ve experienced in my whole life.”
I’ve heard trump comments. 1990s on stern show. “STD s were my Vietnam. Hahaha”. That’s all on video
— Eileen Lewis (@eklewis) September 5, 2020
Setoodeh suggests that Trump’s producer, Burnett, wanted STD tests for contestants to avoid any legal issues that might arise from their off-camera activities. Sadly, Hogg only made it to Episode 4 before being fired by the then-future president.
Although The Apprentice wasn’t designed for romance, an affair did bloom between Donald Trump Jr. and Danity Kane star Aubrey O’Day after they met on Season 5, despite Trump Jr. being married to Vanessa at the time. Interestingly, this isn’t the first instance where Trump has been associated with concerns about STDs.
I don’t believe this.
— SilverThread IsStrongerThanYouThink (@leslie_hileslie) June 11, 2024
Back in 1997, Trump made headlines during an appearance on the Howard Stern Show by comparing his struggle to avoid STDs to “personal Vietnam.” He said “It’s amazing, I can’t even believe it. I’ve been so lucky in terms of that whole world. It is a dangerous world out there.”
Trump added, “It’s like Vietnam, sort of. It is my personal Vietnam. I feel like a great and very brave soldier.” He also went ahead to label a v***na as a “landmine” and claimed that “there’s some real danger there.” During his recent hush money trial, Trump frequently inquired about Stormy Daniels ‘ career in adult entertainment.
He asked her questions like, “What about testing? Do you worry about STDs?” Had she been tested?” Even after the jury’s verdict against him, Trump continues to deny having an affair with Daniels. After leaving the courtroom , he spoke to reporters.
As reported by AP News , he said, “This was a rigged, disgraceful trial. The real verdict is going to be on Nov. 5 by the people. They know what happened, and everyone knows what happened here.” As Trump aims to return to the White House in this year’s election, the judgment gives voters another chance to decide if they can accept his controversial actions.